12/7 Tass 408
WASHINGTON DC, July 12 (Itar-Tass) —— Missile defense is the main irritant in U.S.-Russia relations, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. political experts at the Russian embassy in Washington DC on Tuesday.
“The ABM situation is the main irritant in the bilateral relations and a crack in the European security system,” he said.
“The missile defense debate started in July 2009, at the Moscow meeting of Presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama,” Lavrov said. “The debates continued but did not develop into an agreement.”
The minister stressed the importance of “a fair dialog between Russia, the United States and the European Union” for the achievement of a common goal, “Europe without division lines and Europe of common prosperity.”