MIYAZAKI — The result of the two-day Group of Eight foreign ministerial talks here has revealed yet another seed of controversy that may place Japan in a difficult position in presiding over the upcoming summit in Okinawa.
Skepticism among Russia, France and Germany over a U.S. attempt to introduce a National Missile Defense system, which was emphasized in Miyazaki, may turn into a heated debate at the Okinawa summit next week.
Washington hopes its NMD program might some day protect the country against enemy inter-continental ballistic missiles. Its deployment requires the modification of the 1972 U.S.-Soviet anti-ballistic missile treaty, as the NMD program will increase the number of U.S. missiles beyond the limits set by the treaty.