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Medvedev says hoping for NATO response on Kaliningrad troop cuts

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Moscow expects a response from NATO to Russian troop cuts in its Kaliningrad exclave, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday.
MOSCOW/HELSINKI, April 20 (RIA Novosti) - Moscow expects a response from NATO to Russian troop cuts in its Kaliningrad exclave, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday.

"We have already withdrawn a large amount of heavy military equipment from there [Kaliningrad]," Medvedev said in Helsinki.

He also said that he hoped that NATO would display a similar commitment to reducing troop deployments.

"We hope our NATO partners will demonstrate restraint and reason in these issues," he said, adding that Russia would welcome a decision by the alliance not to deploy any more troops or military equipment in the Baltic States.

Medvedev also said that debates on anti-missile defense systems should be held with all European countries and not just with a select few.

"It is obvious and a simple truth that a truly global anti-missile defense system should not be adopted in the interests of one state or even a group of states," he said, adding that the parameters of such a defense system should not be decided unilaterally.

"Debates on the anti-missile defense configurations in Europe as we see it should undoubtedly include all Europeans and not just a 'club of the chosen ones' that have taken the responsibility upon themselves. That worries us," Medvedev said.

Moscow has long been at loggerheads with Washington over plans to deploy a missile defense system in Central Europe. Treaties have been signed with the Czech Republic on hosting a radar station and with Poland on the deployment of 10 interceptor missiles.

Russia says the missile shield would be a threat to its national security while the United States argues it is necessary to guard against the threat of missile attacks from states such as Iran.

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