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Russia's defense industry

Moscow stresses Obama was first to talk of reviewing Europe missile defense plans

US President Barack Obama several years ago said that solving the issue of Iranian nuclear program would allow reviewing plans on deploying missile defense systems in Europe

US President Barack Obama AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

US President Barack Obama

© AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

MOSCOW, August 10. /TASS/. US President Barack Obama was the one who started talking about reviewing plans on deploying missile defense systems in Europe after settling the situation around Iranian nuclear program, no one forced him to raise this issue, Russian Foreign Ministry’s official spokesperson Maria Zakharova told Rossiya 24 TV channel on Monday.

"The Russian minister quoted the American president. No one forced him [US President Barack Obama] to raise this issue, and he said it himself several years ago - that solving the issue of Iranian nuclear program will allow reviewing plans on deploying missile defense systems in Europe," Zakharova said. "We only quote and remind the American leadership about what it said several years ago."

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"All this quotes are available, it was announced officially. It will not be possible to get away now, one should take responsibility for his words. Or we can talk about how much worth these statements by a president really are," she noted.

At an EU-US summit in Prague in 2009, Obama said: "If the Iranian threat is eliminated, we will have a stronger basis for security, and the driving force for missile defense construction in Europe will be removed."

In July, the UN Security Council has unanimously adopted the resolution in support of the agreement on Iran’s nuclear program. According to the document, all international sanctions will be lifted from Iran in 10 years if Tehran fulfills all conditions agreed with P5+1 group of international mediators (five permanent members of UN Security Council and Germany) in Vienna.

The resolution also envisages easing sanctions against Iran after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) submits a report confirming Tehran’s compliance with the terms of the deal. The UN Security Council also reinforced the mechanism of returning all restrictions in case Iran violates the terms of the agreement.

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Foreign policy Barack Obama Missile defense Russian defense industry

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