US should consider Russian views on defence shield: Spanish PM
( 2001-05-23 10:23 ) (7 )

Washington should consider Moscow's viewpoint on the planned US missile defence system, visiting Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar said in an interview with the Interfax news agency Tuesday.

"The plan to deploy an American anti-missile shield should be made the subject of multilateral consultations which recognise, in particular, the interests of Russia," said Aznar who held talks Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Spanish leader added that he intended to bring the matter up during a meeting with US President George W. Bush on June 12.

Russia is unhappy that the proposed nuclear missile shield violates the 1972 ABM treaty that has underpinned nuclear arms reduction efforts for three decades, but Putin hopes that an upcoming summit with Bush "will give a fresh impetus to dialogue and Russian-US cooperation," said the Kremlin.

Moscow wants assurances that Washington will not press ahead with its missile defence plan without Russian agreement, but the Bush administration is determined not to hand Russia any right of veto.

Putin said earlier that he and Aznar had reached a deal to cancel debts owed by Moscow to Madrid.

Under the deal, some debt will be transformed into guarantees by the Russian government for Spanish investors and other loans will be reimbursed in the form of goods.

The agreement, which the two leaders reached at a dinner Monday just after Aznar's arrival in Russia, is a "positive step for the development of Russo-Spanish ties," commented Putin at the start of Kremlin talks.

Aznar said the debt accord "has not only economic but political significance."