UPDATE: Common air defense in Europe possible - Russian defense minister

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http://en.rian.ru/russia/20050830/41252147.html

ASHULUK airfield (Astrakhan region), August 30 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said the creation of a single European anti-missile defense system was possible.

"It is possible in principle," Ivanov said. "Russia has proposed establishing a non-strategic ABM system in Europe," he said after a CIS air defense exercise in the south of Russia.

Ivanov also said Russia could make a serious contribution to the European air defense system.


http://news.monstersandcritics.com/roundups/article_1044877.php/BMD_Watch_Russia_hints_at_ABM_coop

BMD Watch: Russia hints at ABM coop

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov Tuesday dangled the carrot of anti-ballistic missile cooperation with the 25-nation European Union.

Speaking at Ashuluk airfield in the southern Russian Astrakhan region, Ivanov said the creation of a single European anti-missile defense system was possible. snip

Ivanov also said Russia could make a serious contribution to the European air defense system. "Russia will sufficiently contribute to this system, including using the weapons that were shown today at Ashuluk," the minister said.

Russia in the past has launched diplomatic balloons and dropped hints about offering European nations strategic cooperation agreements that would weaken their ties to the United States and NATO, but so far no significant substantive offers or initiatives have come of them.