"Moscow was particularly worried about reports of US plans to deploy strategic weapons in outer space, in particular to deploy missile defense components in circum-terrestrial orbit," Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said in an article published in the Wednesday issue of Rossiiskaya Gazeta.

"As a practical step ensuring the prevention of the deployment of any type of weapons in space, Russia plans to propose a draft resolution of the UN General Assembly on measures to ensure transparency and confidence building in space activity," he said.

Yakovenko's article came after Washington said last week that it is updating its space policy, the result of which might lead to deployment of weapons in space.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan confirmed to reporters that President George W. Bush's administration had "a draft updated national space policy that is going through the interagency review process" to ensure that its space assets are adequately protected.

Reports said the new policy would call more directly for the deployment of capabilities to ensure that space systems or services cannot be used for purposes hostile to US national interests.

Yakovenko said Russia believes the deployment of weapons in space does not meet the interests of international security and Russia's tabling of a resolution "is consistent in its policy of preventing their deployment in space."

The diplomat said the outer space "is our common patrimony and its exploration and use only for peaceful purposes would serve the interests of the international community."

The United States has refrained from deploying weapons in space as a matter of policy since the Eisenhower administration. The 1967 Outer Space treaty signed by the United States, Britain and Russia forbids putting weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on platforms in space.

But no treaty bars the United States or any other country from putting other weapons in space, and analysts say the US Air Force has been positioning itself to assure the United States has "space superiority."

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