French Foreign Ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei said on Tuesday
that Paris was not interestedin and would not directly participate in the US
missile defense system.
Mattei made the remarks at a press conference when responding to a question
on Russia's concern at talks between the U.S. and NATO members Poland and the
Czech Republic over plans to build missile defense sites in eastern Europe.
Mattei said the U.S. has been negotiating with some countries over its
missile defense plan in recent years to expand cooperation, noting "it is their
choice."
It is important that the relevant countries should take the possible concerns
the plan causes into consideration, he said.
He added that "all countries concerned," such as Russia and other countries
of strategic partnership related to such kind of plans, should conduct dialogue
on the issue to eliminate "the concerns this kind of plans probably cause."
Russia has cast doubt over the U.S. plan, saying Moscow did not believe that
US missile defense system was needed in Europe.
On Monday, a top Russian military commander said the planned U.S. missile
defense sites in eastern Europe is "an obvious threat" to Russia's security.
The system, which Washington hopes to install by 2011, will see a missile
defense radar deployed in the Czech Republic and interceptor missiles in Poland.
