Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday the United States and Russia should use a radar system in Azerbaijan to develop a missile shield that would cover all of Europe.

"We can do this automatically, and hence the whole system which is being built as a result will cover not only part of Europe but entire Europe without an exception," Putin was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying, after meeting U.S. president George W. Bush at a Group of Eight summit.

"This would also ... allow us not to redirect our rockets (to targets in Europe) and, on the contrary, allow us to create conditions for joint work," Putin was quoted as saying.

Willingness to cooperate

Earlier, a U.S. official said that Putin had shown a willingness to cooperate on missile defence in talks with Bush.

"What we got was a willingness to do so (cooperate)," White House national security adviser, Stephen Hadley told reporters.

After the meeting, Putin said through a translator that if Washington and Moscow cooperate transparently on missile defence "then we'll have no problems".

Bush had said ahead of the meeting that he would have reiterated to Putin his proposal to have Russia send generals and scientists to the United States to reassure them on his plans to put a radar system in the Czech Republic and interceptor missiles in Poland. Washington says the shield is intended as a defence against "rogue" states like Iran and North Korea, and has urged Russia to cooperate.

Moscow, which suspects it could be outfitted with attack missiles or used for spying, has rejected the overtures.

- Reuters