Russia remains at odds with NATO over its plans for a missile defence system in Europe, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday, after holding talks on the matter with his NATO counterparts for the first time in months, dpa reported. "This is the topic that still divides us," Lavrov told journalists in Brussels after the meeting. "Our opinions are different here." NATO and Russia have disagreed for years over the defence system, which was initiated by the United States to shield Europe from what Washington says is a threat from rogue countries. Progress on the matter ground to a halt this year ahead of the US presidential elections, which granted Barack Obama a second term. Moscow had also taken its time in appointing a new ambassador to NATO - former deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko - leaving alliance officials without a permanent interlocutor in Brussels. Lavrov said the two sides agreed at Tuesday's talks to carry out more "consultations in the near future." Moscow is worried that the shield, which is to be based partially in Eastern Europe and is already partly operational, could also shoot down Russian missiles. The system is not due to reach full capacity until 2020. NATO officials have repeatedly assured Russia that it could not be a target, but have refused to grant it the legally binding guarantees it has demanded. Moscow has responded by threatening to target NATO installations and testing ballistic missiles.
