Poland and the United States remain undeterred by Russian opposition to Washington's plans to build a missile defense system in eastern Europe, Deputy Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski, Poland's chief negotiator in talks on a U.S. anti-missile shield, said on Tuesday. In an interview with foreign media, Waszczykowski said that Russia has shown a determination to block the planned missile defense project, most recently by suspending its membership in a key European arms control treaty.
He added that Polish President Lech Kaczynski and U.S. President George W. Bush discussed their concerns over Russia's move during their meeting in Washington last week and resolved not to be swayed by it. "During the meeting of Presidents Kaczynski and Bush, we discussed what else the Russians can do to spoil the whole concept, and the straightforward answer was, well, that we will continue," Waszczykowski was quoted by Polish PAP news agency. Despite Russia trying to spoil this concept, to destroy the whole idea, there is a determination and commitment on the American side to continue the project as they proposed in January of this year, said Waszczykowski, who accompanied Kaczynski to Washington. The United States is planning to install parts of its missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, a move strongly opposed by Russia. The United States said the shield is designed to intercept rockets fired against it from the central or Far East.
Source: Xinhua
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