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NATO ordered its military experts yesterday to draw up plans for a possible short-range missile defense system to protect nations on the alliance's southern flank that would be left exposed by proposed US anti-missile units in central Europe.

 

A final decision on building the NATO system is expected at an April 2008 alliance summit in Romania, but yesterday's agreement to launch the study factors the US proposal for Europe-based anti-missile interceptors and radar units into NATO planning for the first time.

 

It also reflects a growing acceptance of Washington's plans among the 26 allies, despite initial skepticism in some European nations and virulent opposition from Russia.

 

"The NATO roadmap on missile defense is now clear. It's practical and it's agreed by all," said Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO's secretary-general.

 

Ministers welcomed Russia's offer of missile defense cooperation through a radar base in Azerbaijan as showing a more conciliatory tone, following Moscow's furious first reaction to the missile defense plans.

 

However, they suggested the Azeri base could supplement rather than replace the US plan to install 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and the main radar base in the Czech Republic.

 

"I don't think it can replace the American proposal, but I think it can be part of the missile defense," Danish Defense Minister Soeren Gade said.

 

Diplomats said US Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the closed meeting Washington would continue its negotiations with the Poles and Czechs on installing the new bases.

 

Washington says the addition of the European bases to anti-missile installations in North America would protect most of Europe from the threat of long-range attack from Iran or elsewhere in the Middle East. But it would leave Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria and parts of Romania exposed.

 

To fill that gap, de Hoop Scheffer said NATO experts would produce a report by February on a short-range anti-missile defenses "that can be bolted on to the overall missile defense system as it would be installed by the United States."

 

Russia has threatened to retaliate against the US plans by pulling out of a key arms control treaty and pointing warheads at Europe for the first time since the Cold War. However, at last week's G8 summit, President Vladimir Putin seemed to take a more open approach, suggesting Russia could cooperate with the West on an anti-missile radar base in Azerbaijan.

 

"I will certainly underscore our interest in exploring with them President Putin's proposal with respect to radar in Azerbaijan," Gates said on Wednesday on his way to the NATO meeting.

 

During a stop in Germany, Gates said he was pleased Putin had acknowledged there was merit to missile defense, "that Iran does represent a problem that needs to be dealt with in terms of potential missile defense."

 

De Hoop Scheffer said talks with Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov had "not entirely" clarified how Russia envisages cooperation on the Azeri base or overcome Moscow opposition to the missile defense plan. "We have some hard nuts to crack," he told a news conference.

 

Aalliance experts said complex technical issues meant it was too early to say if the Azerbaijani radar could effectively replace or supplement planned US installations in central Europe.

 

The Russians have rejected US assertions that Iran poses a missile threat, saying it is decades away from producing missiles that could target Europe. They claim the US plans pose a threat to Russia.

 

(China Daily June 15, 2007)