WASHINGTON - Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin has been widely criticized for citing Alaska’s proximity to Russia as foreign policy experience. But she is not backing down.

The Alaska governor, running mate to Republican presidential nominee John McCain in the Nov. 4 election, defended her position on Thursday in a rare one-on-one session with a reporter. 

In only her third nationally televised interview since she was nominated earlier this month — this one on CBS with anchor Katie Couric — Palin was asked what she meant.

“That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and on our other side, the land — boundary that we have with — Canada. It– it’s funny that a comment like that was — kind of made to — I don’t know, you know? Reporters,” Palin said, explaining that she had been mocked.

Asked to explain why living near Russia enhances her foreign policy credentials, Palin responded: “Well, it certainly does because our — our next-door neighbors are foreign countries. They’re in the state that I am the executive of.”

Asked whether she had ever been involved in any negotiations, for example, with the Russians, Palin answered: “We have trade missions back and forth. We — we do– it’s very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where — where do they go? It’s Alaska. It’s just right over the border. It is — from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to — to our state.”

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Photo credit: Reuters/Brian Snyder - Republican vice-presidential nominee Alaska Governor Sarah Palin at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York on Sept. 25.