Russia will not deploy new missiles in the Kaliningrad enclave after the United States dropped plans for an anti-missile shield in Eastern Europe, Russia's deputy defence minister said on Saturday.

"Naturally, we will scrap the measures that Russia planned to take in response to the deployment of missile defence in Eastern Europe," Vladimir Popovkin told Ekho Moskvy radio station.

"One of these measures was the deployment of Iskander missiles in the Kaliningrad region," he said.

His comment echoed a statement by Russia's envoy to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, who on Friday also welcomed a proposal from NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen for more cooperation with Russia on anti-missile systems.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin described as "correct and brave" President Barack Obama's decision to drop the missile shield intended for Europe by his predecessor George W. Bush.

Bush's administration devised the plan to deploy defense missile shield bases in Poland and the Czech Republic, saying that it was a precautionary measure against attacks from the so called 'rogue states' like Iran and North Korea.

During his visit to Bulgaria in June 2007 George Bush held talks with the country's government, a staunch US ally, which was concerned it may be left out of the plan.

The issue has contributed to raised tensions between the US and Russia, which responded furiously to what it saw as an encroachment in the former Soviet bloc and threatened to deploy its own missile system in Kaliningrad, an exclave near Poland.

Bush's successor President Barack Obama, who has tried to "reset" relations with Russia, launched a review of the controversial system after taking office earlier this year.