(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-12-09 16:01

WASHINGTON - The US Department of State said Saturday it will hold new talks with Russia next week on its controversial missile defense plans for eastern Europe.

"The United States will continue to discuss its ideas and proposals for U.S.-Russia missile defense cooperation," the department said in a statement.

The talks will be held in Budapest, capital of Hungary, and led by John Rood, acting undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister SergeiKislyak.

The foreign and defense ministers of the two countries met in October in Moscow for talks but failed to iron out differences on America's plans to expand its missile defense shield to eastern Europe.

The United States wants to deploy interceptor missiles in Poland and build a radar station in the Czech Republic.

Moscow sees the U.S. plan as posing a threat to its security, while Washington says it is not targeted at Russia.