missile defense cooperation

Special Briefing With Under Secretary Eric Edelman, Pentagon

April 3, 2007

Speaking at the conclusion of this European consultations on missile defense, Undersecretary of Defense Eric Edelman said April 3, that the United States and Russia have agreed to discuss in some detail potential cooperation with Russia.  “We are doing this because we face a growing danger of the proliferation of ballistic missile technology. There are some 20 countries developing programs actively, and we're particularly concerned of course about the threats from North Korea. We saw last summer the potential that threat represents when we had the six or seven missiles shot tests last summer.  We are also of course increasingly concerned about the missile capability that Iran is developing.  The effort here is an effort to help extend potentially what we believe is the capability that we are developing against the long- range missile threat to Europe.” 

Questioned on his sense of the “political temperament” in Poland and the Czech Republic, Undersecretary Edelman noted, “In all of these countries, certainly in the Czech Republic, this is a matter that is going to be subject to their democratic parliamentary debate.  That's perfectly appropriate.  One of the things I did when I was there was to meet with some of the members of the parliamentary opposition to discuss with them the basic facts of this, and I personally believe the facts are on our side here.  And so the more that is known about this, the better off, you know, their debate will be and the better off we will be.”   

The complete text of his April 3 Pentagon briefing on missile defense can be found here.