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Russia's concerns over U.S. missile shield plans may be soothed -Foreign Minister Lavrov

MOSCOW. April 17 (Interfax) - Russia's concerns over U.S. plans to deploy missile defense elements in the Czech Republic and Poland might be alleviated, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

"The Americans have offered us transparency and confidence-building measures, and we have both reciprocal proposals and questions regarding a number of U.S. ideas," Lavrov said in an interview posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website on Thursday. "If we come to terms, our concerns might be alleviated. I am saying 'might be' because I don't know what results we could ultimately come to. The dialogue will continue."

Lavrov described as important the fact that the U.S. acknowledged Russia's concerns about the missile shield plans at the Bucharest NATO summit and the Russian-U.S. summit in Sochi.

"We believe that these concerns could be fully done away with very easily by not deploying missile defense elements in Europe," Lavrov said. "But if our partners do not agree to this, it is important to us that Russia be sure that the system is not targeted against it."

He also praised the passage of the Strategic Framework Declaration at the Russian-U.S. summit in Sochi.

"It does not camouflage the existing problems, but it is aimed at further deepening comprehensive cooperation in areas where agreements have already been achieved and at formulating new joint initiatives," he said.

The U.S. is in negotiations to build an anti-missile base in Poland and a mid-course tracking radar in the neighboring Czech Republic as part of its nuclear missile defense (NMD) system, supposedly aimed at protecting the U.S. and its allies from missile attacks by so-called rogue states such as Iran. Russia has vehemently criticized the plan, saying that it is aimed at reducing Russia's nuclear capabilities.