18/09/2009
PES welcomes President Obama's decision to scrap anti-missile shield
The PES welcomes the statement by US President Barack Obama that he is scrapping plans for the antiballistic missile shield proposed by the Bush administration that would have seen interceptor rockets and a radar system installed in Poland and the Czech Republic, respectively.
The PES has previously voiced its concerns over the proposed missile shield, as it would disrupt regional and international balances of power and would undermine global efforts at non-proliferation. On 3rd May 2007, the PES released a statement maintaining that we should join all efforts to avoid a new arms race in Europe or tensions with other nuclear powers. The PES believes that dialogue, at the global, the EU, and multilateral levels, constitute the best strategy to assure peace, stability, and non-proliferation.
President Obama’s decision to cancel this contentious program is fully supported by the PES. It will encourage further dialogue and will reduce tension on the European continent.
PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen said: “We welcome President Obama’s announcement, as it illustrates a new era in American foreign policy. This fresh approach, based on dialogue and cooperation, is what the PES itself advocates.”
The PES President added “It is important to work together towards international disarmament, as President Obama has himself advocated last April in Prague, and this brings us a step closer to living in a nuclear-free world”.
