Lavrov was interviewed by Alexei Venediktov, the chief editor of "Echo of Moscow," the only independent radio station in Moscow, who asked him pointed questions about the recent meeting in Sochi between the presidents of Russia and the US, Vladimir Putin and George Bush. Lavrov's answers gave some insight into what's been going on behind closed doors in the dispute over US plans for missile installations in the Czech Republic and Poland. Lavrov indicated Russia had heard a number of proposals from the US, but he said Moscow was interested in only two things: guaranteeing the constant presence of Russian officers at the American installations and reliable technical means of monitoring the sites.

Venediktov pointed out a sharp comment by a Polish diplomat in Moscow yesterday for talks who said in no uncertain terms that there would be no permanent contingent of Russian observers in Poland. Lavrov said Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski had reiterated what Moscow had already heard from Poland and the Czech Republic, namely that they would not even consider the proposal.  Venediktor asked, "Do you mean to say that Russia and the US together can't convince the Polish and Czech governments about stationing a dozen officers? "

Lavrov indicated the last word had not been spoken yet because the US had still not signed the final agreements with Prague and Warsaw regulating operation of the sites. He expressed the opinion that the Americans would follow their usual procedure for their installations on foreign soil and they would be the ones who would be the bosses at the sites, although they might allow the Czechs and Poles a veto right. Russia's reaction, he said, would have to wait until the agreements had been signed and Moscow saw what was in them.

Lavrov went into detail about US plans for a global missile shield incorporating installations in the US and other countries, a system including Poland and the Czech Republic that would eventually form a ring around Russia.  He made it clear that Russia would not stand for NATO expansion at Russia's borders. He said we cannot "watch attempts to bring the NATO war machine right up to your borders," a development that he called a "disunifying moment in Europe." He said Washington understood Moscow's positions.

Venediktov asked Lavrov what prevented Russia from building its own missile sites in Cuba or Venezuela. Lavrov said Russian actions had to be productive and pragmatic, a search for answers that would keep Russia from being drawn into a new extravagant arms race. He said the US had offered Russia confidence-building measures and transparency, but these still had to be worked out.

Lavrov also answered questions about the possibility of a Mideast peace conference in Moscow, about relations with Iran, the situation in Kosovo and other issues. He said Washington was not opposed to a Mideast peace conference in Moscow, and Chairman of the Palestine National Authority Mahmoud Abbas would soon come to Moscow to discuss details of such a conference and he would be received by the Russian president.

Lavrov's remarks were couched in diplomatic language, but the listener still got a feeling for the difficulty of negotiations between Washington and Moscow with their different approaches to international issues.