MOSCOW, April 10. /TASS/. The United States and NATO refuse to take into consideration the progress in resolving the crisis over Iran’s nuclear program in deployment of the missile defense shield in Europe, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

"We see that in fact while progress in regard to Iran’s nuclear program is becoming clearer, Washington and Brussels try to invent new grounds for their missile defense program," the ministry said.

"This once again confirms that the references to the "Iranian threat" in this case are just a cover while the true goal of creating the anti-missile potential is completely different," the statement reads.

Therefore, the statements that the missile defense shield in Europe is not directed against Russia "look less convincing," the ministry stresses.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has paid attention to the recent statements of US and NATO officials that the political framework agreement for a final nuclear deal reached in Switzerland’s Lausanne gives no grounds to change the plans for the deployment of the missile shield in Europe.

Such interpretations conflict with US President Barack Obama’s statement in Prague in April 2009 that "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."

The evident unwillingness of the US and NATO to take into consideration the positive tendencies in resolving the Iranian nuclear issue "confirms our conclusion that the missile defense shield being deployed in Europe is of an anti-Russian character," the ministry said.