MOSCOW, Feb 22: United States National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley tried to reassure Russia on Thursday that US plans to place elements of a missile defence shield in central Europe were not directed against Moscow.

Mr Hadley stressed that the proposed shield was not of a type designed to counter Russian weapons but intended to guard against any possible attack by countries such as Iran or North Korea.

The shield would see a radar station set up in the Czech Republic and an underground missile silo in Poland.

“It is not directed in any way against Russia. It is directed to certain countries that are developing both ballistic missiles and have shown a desire to pursue nuclear weapons... That’s primarily North Korea and Iran,” the advisor told journalists after meeting his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov.

“It is a system of limited capability and it poses no threat to the Russian strategic deterrent,” Mr Hadley said.

He said he saw no basis for a Russian threat to respond by withdrawing from a treaty restricting short and medium-range missiles, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), signed by Moscow and Washington in 1987.

“This is an issue obviously for discussion between the US and Russia... I do not see though, just speaking personally, why withdrawal from the INF treaty would seem to be a response warranted” by the plan, he said.

He said the treaty had been signed at a time when countries of Western Europe were worried about the presence of Soviet missiles within striking distance and Moscow’s suggestion that it could withdraw from the pact should also be a subject of attention for European and other states.

Mr Ivanov struck a conciliatory tone, being quoted by Interfax as saying that while there were problems, “what is important is that our dialogue should be intensive and develop, so as to solve these problems.”

Interfax quoted Mr Ivanov’s office as saying the two men had discussed counter-terrorism cooperation as well as nuclear issues and non-proliferation.-—AFP