Poland sends U.S. missile shield deal to parliament for ratification
07/11/2008 17:24 WARSAW, November 7 (RIA Novosti) - The Polish government has submitted a number of missile-defense agreements with the United States to parliament for ratification, the Polish foreign minister said on Friday.
Radoslaw Sikorski said the agreements, including a missile shield treaty and a Polish-U.S. strategic cooperation declaration, create "a sound framework for cooperation between our two countries in the realm of security and defense."
The Polish move may have been precipitated by the Russian president's recent remarks concerning the possible deployment of tactical missiles near Poland.
Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday that Russia would deploy precision-guided short-range Iskander missile systems in its westernmost Kaliningrad exclave "to neutralize, if necessary, the anti-ballistic missile system in Europe."
Kaliningrad borders Poland and Lithuania, both NATO member states.
Sikorski called Medvedev's remarks an "unfriendly act," adding they indicate that Moscow "sees itself as a rival to NATO."
Moscow has repeatedly expressed its opposition to Washington's plans to place 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and an accompanying radar in the Czech Republic, saying they threaten Russia's national security.
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