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Dmitry Medvedev made this call at the press conference following the end of the Russia–EU summit.

The President expressed concern over the plans to deploy elements of a missile defence system and Europe, and also responded to his European colleagues’ concerns about Russia’s readiness to take countermeasures. Mr Medvedev stressed that Russia has never taken any such steps on a unilateral basis.

Mr Medvedev said that the current security mechanisms in Europe are imperfect and recalled that Moscow has put forward the initiative of negotiating a new treaty in this area.

This new treaty on European security or on having all countries join a pan-European security area could lay down the principles and set of rules for work in the future, the President said.

The summit in Nice examined the possibility a convening an OSCE summit to discuss a treaty of this kind. Mr Medvedev said that a summit under the aegis of the OSCE, with the participation of all European institutions, including NATO, the European Union, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, and the CIS, could take place in mid-2009.

President of France Nicholas Sarkozy expressed support for Mr Medvedev’s proposal.