#4 - RW 262
Russia not dismissing tripartite cooperation on theatre ABM system - diplomat
ITAR-TASS

Ottawa, 18 June: Russia does not rule out the possibility of tripartite cooperation with the United States and Canada on a non-strategic theatre ABM system, Russian ambassador to Canada Georgiy Mamedov has told ITAR-TASS.

Asked about the discussion on Canada's probable participation in US plans to build up an ABM system, which is currently under way here, Mamedov noted that Russia was in favour of "cooperation with the United States and with all the other countries, including Canada, in certain areas of antimissile defence", especially on a theatre ABM system.

He stressed that non-strategic missiles, widely used now throughout the world, especially in the conflict areas, are fraught with grave dangers not only to the countries of given regions, but also to the probable peacemaking operations involving Russia and Canada.

Hence we can only welcome an ABM system aimed against such missiles, which will be "based on provisions of international law and on all the nonproliferation agreements", the ambassador stated. If Canada was to cooperate with the United States with this end in view, "we shall even be ready for tripartite cooperation in this field", he added.

At the same time, the ambassador stressed that the so-called global antimissile defence system hatched by the US administration, which has torpedoed the ABM Treaty, was "a burdensome error".

"We believe, firstly, that such a global ABM system will not be able to guarantee genuine security to its builders, and, secondly, that it may jeopardize strategic predictability in relations among the great nuclear powers and may whip up a new nuclear weapons race, given certain conditions."

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