Russia believes that Moscow and NATO should properly assess missile risks before starting on a missile defense plan for Europe, Russia's envoy to the military alliance said on Friday.
"We continue to insist that, before discussing what may be meaningful in the framework of the possible European missile shield project and other serious projects, we need to carry out a serious analysis of missile threats," Dmitry Rogozin told RIA Novosti.
"To settle on guilty parties in this issue means to dodge a discussion of more serious issues," Rogozin said. "It is not only Iran that possesses missiles in Europe's southern 'underbelly,' but other countries as well, so if we are to start this analysis, we should analyze all those who possess this kind of technology."
Iran still poses a threat to Russia and NATO, the alliance's Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said earlier on Friday.
He reiterated calls for the creation of missile defenses in Europe, saying they would bring NATO and Russia closer.
BRUSSELS, September 17 (RIA Novosti)
