Article Posted on : - Sep 24, 2009

File photo.

NEW YORK (BNS): Hailing the US� decision to scrap plans for deploying an Eastern Europe-based missile defence shield, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said that his country will continue its missile defence cooperation with the US.

�We are ready to continue working in this direction with our US and European colleagues,� Medvedev was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti after talks with his US counterpart Barack Obama here on Thursday.

The Obama administration last week decided to abandon a plan of the previous Bush regime to deploy radars and strategic missile interceptors in the Czech Republic and Poland.

The plan, meant to counter potential strikes from Iran, was a constant bickering point in Russia-US ties.

Terming the decision as �sensible�, Medvedev, while addressing the 64th UN General Assembly session here, said the shift in the US missile plans was �a constructive step in the right direction, which deserved the positive response it had received from the international community.�

As per the new plan put forth by the Obama administration, land-based missile-defense shields will not be implemented before 2015, whereas sea-based defense shields will be operating in the Mediterranean Sea up to 2015.