LONDON, Nov. 10 (Reuters) - A U.S. official said on Wednesday Russia was warming to the idea of cooperation with NATO on a European missile defence system ahead of a summit next week expected to seal warmer relations between the Cold War rivals.
Philip Gordon, U.S. assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, said that Russia was showing willingness to work with NATO on the system, aimed at countering ballistic threats from the Middle East, in particular Iran.
Moscow has expressed concerns about how the system would affect its own missile deterrent, and whether it would have the capability to counter Russia’s own missiles.
However, last week Russia pledged to boost cooperation with NATO in Afghanistan and consider a joint missile defence shield, after a meeting between President Medvedev and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
The pair met to iron out a new bilateral agreement to be signed at a summit of the 28-nation NATO alliance in Lisbon on Nov. 19-20 that Medvedev will attend.
"On the whole they have welcomed it (a joint NATO missile defence system) … and I think they’ve shown a willingness to work with us on this," Gordon told reporters at the U.S. embassy in London.
"They do want to be sure that it’s not targeted at Russia and doesn’t have the capability of undermining the Russian deterrent, which they have determined to preserve."
He said one of Washington’s "long-term regrets" was the thinking that NATO’s gain is Russia’s loss, and vice versa.
As well as Russia’s concerns about how the proposed NATO missile defence system will affect its own missile capability, Moscow also wants to have a role in deciding its architecture.
Gordon said Russia would not have a veto on the system’s design, but the sooner talks begin on the issue, the more say Russia is likely to have.
