Schroeder cautions Clinton on missile defence

AACHEN (GERMANY), JUNE 2. The German Chancellor, Mr. Gerhard Schroeder, honouring the U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton's contribution to European peace, today warned him against upsetting the global arms balance with a new missile system.

In a speech prepared for delivery in Aachen before awarding Mr. Clinton the annual Charlemagne prize for peace, Mr. Schroeder told his guest that the U.S. plans for a national missile defence should be debated within the Atlantic alliance.

``Of course, it is the sovereign right of our American allies to take those decisions they consider appropriate to ensure their security,'' Mr. Schroeder said of the NMD, a system Washington says would shoot down rockets fired by rogue nuclear states.

``As this issue could have effects well beyond the USA, it is in the sense of the alliance that it be treated in a spirit of partnership,'' Mr. Schroeder said, welcoming assurances from Mr. Clinton to take account of the effect of the NMD on disarmament treaties.

Russia, where Mr. Clinton holds talks this weekend, has warned that the NMD could wreck existing arms control pacts. Mr. Schroeder, who said the system could affect `other important states', cautioned Mr. Clinton yesterday against triggering a `new arms race'.

Support for Putin

Mr. Clinton and Mr. Schroeder have pledged support for the Russian President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, as Mr. Clinton visited Berlin before his first summit with the Kremlin leader.

``We have both agreed that America and Germany have a great interest in a stable partnership with Russia,'' Mr. Schroeder told a brief news conference which followed some two hours of talks yesterday after Mr. Clinton flew in from Lisbon.

``Both of us want to support Russia's political and economic stabilisation and so make President Putin's job easier.'' Mr. Clinton's National Security Adviser, Mr. Sandy Berger, told journalists later that both leaders believed Mr. Putin was committed to modernising the Russian economy and, if he succeeded, would help entrench democracy there.

On the missile defence system, Mr. Schroeder said: ``The President proceeded in a very frank way to present his views on the national missile defence programme and I have stated my concerns. We have to be very careful that such a project does not retrigger a renewed arms race.''

Mr. Berger said Mr. Clinton explained to Mr. Schroeder he was concerned about how Europe viewed the missile plan, and was taking into account any impact on the arms control regime, but stressed he had to make a decision in terms of national security.

Mr. Clinton praised Germany, Washington's biggest European ally and long its front line in the cold war, as a loyal partner.

``The relationship of the United States with Germany has been profoundly important for the last 50 years,'' he said.``But I think it may well be more important for the next 50.''

- Reuters

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