BUENOS AIRES (RIA Novosti) -- Lithuania's president, currently on a visit to Argentina, told a national paper that his country is willing if necessary to host elements of a U.S. missile shield.

The United States said earlier this month that tentative discussions had been held with the Baltic country on hosting an interceptor missile base, after talks with Poland, Washington's first choice of host country, stalled.
Nacion quoted Valdas Adamkus as saying: ""Lithuania is not currently engaged in negotiations with the United States on deploying a missile shield on our territory. However, we believe that this anti-missile system is an important element of European and international security. Therefore, if necessary, we are ready to work with our partners to deploy it.""
The president declined RIA Novosti's request for a comment on the interview.
Moscow strongly opposes the possible deployment by the U.S. of 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic as a threat to its national security.
Poland has taken a tough stance in talks with the U.S., demanding that Washington upgrade the country's air defense systems as a condition for the deployment of an anti-missile base.
Ex-Soviet Lithuania joined the European Union and NATO in 2004.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday that the placement of a U.S. missile shield in Europe will harm regional security.
""The placement of elements of a U.S. global missile shield in Eastern Europe will only aggravate the situation,"" Medvedev said at a meeting with senior Russian diplomats in Moscow.
Moscow has strongly opposed the possible deployment by the U.S. of 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and an accompanying radar in the Czech Republic as a threat to its security and international nuclear deterrence.
During their visit to Moscow in late March, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice offered to let Russia monitor the proposed U.S. missile and radar bases in Central Europe in order to allay Russian concerns.
But Russia said the U.S. proposals were vague and nontransparent.
""Security cannot be based on word of honor alone,"" Medvedev reiterated on Tuesday.
On an official visit to Germany in early June, he called for a legally binding European security treaty to be signed at a pan-European conference.
Medvedev said any new security arrangements should be based on ""pure"" national interests, not skewed by ideological motives. He added that ""organizations operating in the Euro-Atlantic region"" should also have the opportunity to join.