GEORGIA READY TO CONSIDER HOSTING PARTS OF A U.S. MISSILE DEFENSE SHIELD ON ITS TERRITORY

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.05.2007 15:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Georgia has said it will consider hosting parts of
a U.S. missile defense shield on its territory.

Gela Bezhuashvili, the foreign minister, said: "If [the U.S.] came
and told us that they want to, we would certainly be willing to talk
about it."

Mr Bezhuashvili said the U.S. had not requested talks with Georgia
formally. "There is no formal application, not even informal talks,"
he said. "But if they ask for help, we will talk with them," The
Financial Times reports.

In early March Missile Defense Agency Lt. Gen. Henry Henry Obering
stated in Brussels that the Pentagon would like to install a
U.S. air-defense radar in one of Caucasian countries. At the same time
he did specify the country. All official representatives of Armenia,
Georgia and Azerbaijan said they have not received such an offer from
the United States.

Later Mr Obering said, "We have not offered any Caucasian state to host
an anti-missile radar." He said in order to strengthen defense and
protection from possible threats by Iran, experts examined possible
trajectories of missile strikes by Iran towards Europe and U.S.,
after which it became clear that the countries, where air-defense
systems can be stationed, are Poland and the Czech Republic. "We have
not turned to any country except Poland and the Czech Republic with
a request to install air-defense system elements," he said.