NATO questions Russian missile plan

NATO has reacted cautiously to a Russian proposal under which the two sides would jointly develop a missile defence system.

The NATO Secretary-General, George Robertson, said the alliance was not yet in a position to evaluate the Russian proposal and said clarification was of enormous importance.

The United States Defence Secretary, William Cohen, said that as far as he could dermine, the proposed system offered no protection for the United States or even Europe.

NATO ministers were given a briefing by the Russian defence minister, Igor Sergeyev, at a meeting in Brussels.

Moscow has vehemently opposed America's own plans to deploy a new missile system in the United States, saying this would break the Anti-Ballistic Missile agreement.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service