Russian-US talks on missile shield

to follow POWELL MIDEAST Russia and the United States have agreed to hold expert-level talks on American plans for a national missile defence shield.

The move was agreed at a meeting in Cairo between Mr Powell and his Russian counterpart, Igor Ivanov.

Russia has long opposed the concept of a strategic national missile defence, warning that it could lead to a new arms race.

The BBC State Department correspondent says the fact that Russia is now prepared to discuss the idea is regarded as something of a breakthrough by the Bush administration. An official travelling with Mr Powell said the two sides had agreed to a meeting of experts to discuss the 1972 anti-ballistic missile treaty, which specifically bans the kind of missile defence that Washington is proposing.

President Bush has made clear that he's prepared to scrap the agreement if Moscow won't agree to amend it.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service