NATO SECRETARY GENERAL HOPES THAT USA WILL CARRY OUT VERY SERIOUS CONSULTATIONS ON NATIONAL MISSILE DEFENCE








WASHINGTON, March 8 /RIA Novosti correspondent Arkady Orlov/ - NATO Secretary General George Robertson who is currently in the USA expressed confidence that the USA will carry out very serious consultations with other states of the world on the development and deployment of the national missile defence system, both with the states which support and the states which are against the NMD concept. 


	He said this on Wednesday at a seminar in Washington. In his opinion, the USA will be approaching the NMD issue from the positions of creating a wider system of missile defence and elaborating the strategy that would involve not only the USA but also other states. 


	Stressing the need to continue international consultations on this issue, Robertson noted that the initiative on the limited European missile defence system recently put forward by Russia acknowledges the threat of the spread of missile technologies in the world, and that there is a potential military solution to combat this threat. 


	While staying in the US capital, Robertson will hold a number of meetings in the US administration and the US Congress. On Thursday he will be received in the White House by President George Bush. (fed/vld)  08/03/01    13:13