http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010209/wl/russia_germany_dc_1.html

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer will discuss U.S. plans for a missile shield, which have worried Moscow and caused doubts in Europe, on a visit to Russia next week, a German diplomatic source said on Friday.

``This theme will be discussed and a whole range of issues concerning Russia´s relations with Germany, NATO, the European Union and the United States,'' the source said.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Fischer was scheduled to meet President Vladimir Putin, his counterpart Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Ivanov during his February 12-13 visit.

He will also meet Gennady Seleznyov, the Communist speaker of the State Duma lower house of parliament, the ministry said.

Germany is skeptical about U.S. plans for a National Missile Defense (NMD) to protect the United States against what Washington calls ``rogue nations´´ such as Iraq and Iran. Russia opposes the idea and says Washington may start a new arms race.

Russia has said the planned U.S. system would be aimed at Russian missiles and has opposed any amendments to the 1972 Anti-Missile Treaty (ABM).

The ABM treaty bans national missile defenses to discourage countries from building as many missiles as possible to breach another nation's defenses.

The NMD concept must be discussed by all sides so that a response could be found to Washington's plans, German Ambassador Ernst-Joerg von Studnitz was quoted as saying by Russia's Interfax news agency earlier.

``Such a reply must be given as a result of consultations, including within NATO and with Russia,´´ he said.

Fischer and his Russian counterpart would also discuss preparations for top-level Russian-German talks in St. Petersburg, which are scheduled for April 9-10.

The source said that the question of Russia's debts to Germany would not be the main item on the agenda.

Russia owes around $20 billion in Soviet-era debt to Germany as part of the Paris Club of creditor nations and Germany was angry when Russia recently said it would not make all its payments to the Paris Club this year.

Russia has since said it would honor its debt obligations, which include almost $4.0 billion in payments to the Paris Club this year.

Russia's military campaign in Chechnya (news - web sites) would also be on the agenda.

The foreign ministry said Fischer would also meet Russian political scientists and members of the ``Memorial´´ human rights organization during his visit.