Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Anna Lindh issued a statement in Stockholm Thursday to express opposition to the unilateral US withdrawal from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty.
Lindh said the US plan to quit the ABM treaty would bring "serious consequences" to international disarmament in the future.
Sweden had repeatedly noted that unilateral move to implement a missile defense plan would very likely trigger a "new round of arms expansion" and pose "negative impact" on the efforts of disarmament and anti-proliferation, she said.
In the statement, the top Swedish diplomat welcomed the discussions the Bush administration has started with other countries, saying talks with Russia and China were "of great importance."
She said her country hoped such dialogues would continue and a solution conducive to disarmament and non-proliferation would be found.
US President George W. Bush has informed Congress leaders of his decision to pull out of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty. A US withdrawal from the treaty would give the Pentagon the green light for an expanded plan of missile defense testing.
(Xinhua News Agency December 14, 2001)
