Albania had nothing against the deployment of elements of the US missile shield on its territory, Albanian prime minister Sali Berisha was quoted by the Russian news agency Itar-Tass on February 23 2009.

Albania has not received any such request from the US, but the country was ready to accept it, Berisha said when asked to comment on media reports that Washington might choice Albania over Poland and the Czech Republic, the countries now meant to host elements of the missile shield.

"As a Nato member country and as a strategic partner of the US Albania will say yes to the US should they ask us," Berisha said. Nato signed accession protocols with Albania on July 9 2008, but the country is yet to become a full member as the ratification process is still underway.

"It would be Albania's contribution to maintaining the world's security," Berisha said.

In August 2008, the US and Poland formally signed an agreement to deploy 10 missile defense interceptors on Polish territory, part of a larger system that would include a radar system in the Czech Republic.

Russia has always been against the US anti-missile shield plan, threatening to deploy a short-range missile system in its Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad, which borders Poland, in response.

On February 14 2009, Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski was quoted by Xinhua news agency that the Polish government was ready to conclude negotiations with the US on "a package of deals linked with cooperation in missile defense."

"We understand that a final decision on the missile defense base in Poland will be taken by President Barack Obama administration," Sikorski said in a speech to Poland's parliament but said that Poland expected the US to fulfill the declaration on strategic cooperation.