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Spanish PM Urges US Deliberation of Missile Defense to Avoid Tension
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Marie Aznar Thursday urged the United States to deliberate its missile defense plan to guarantee that it will not cause tension worldwide.
Aznar reaffirmed the stance at a press conference after talks with visiting NATO Secretary General George Robertson on the matter.
He had earlier asked the United States to hold dialogue with its allies regarding the plan to prevent triggering a new round of arms race.
Speaking in parliament on the government position concerning the issue, Minister of Foreign Affairs Josep Piquie Caps said on the same day that the U.S. plan should be discussed within NATO for a long time to avoid a "sense of insecurity" among countries such as Russia, China and the European allies.
He said that the United States is accountable to making an accurate explanation on its missile defense plan so that all parties concerned can conduct profound analysis of it.
Spanish government sources revealed that a U.S. delegation will visit Madrid next week to brief the Spanish government "in detail."
Many Europeans are skeptical about the proposed missile shield's capability after some test failures. They are also concerned that the United States should not tear up key arms control treaties with Russia that limit such defenses.
An American delegation started its global tour Tuesday with a visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels to garner support for the U.S. missile defense plan.
It is expected to visit Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, Italy and Turkey before the talks with Russia.
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