NEW YORK: Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin has defended a widely ridiculed remark that the close proximity of Russia to her home state of Alaska gives her foreign policy experience.

On the 'CBS Evening News' on Thursday, anchor Katie Couric asked Ms Palin what she meant when she cited Alaska's proximity to Russia as foreign affairs experience during her first major interview earlier this month.

Ms Palin had told ABC's Charles Gibson: 'They're our next-door neighbours and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska.'

On Thursday, Ms Palin could have anticipated the question because the topic of the interview was foreign affairs. Yet her answer was surprisingly wobbly.

'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,' she replied. She mentioned the jokes made at her expense and seemed for a moment at a loss for the word 'caricature.'

When Ms Couric pressed her again to explain how Alaska's closeness to Russia enhanced her foreign policy experience, Ms Palin said, 'Well, it certainly does because our... our next-door neighbours are foreign countries.'

Ms Palin didn't answer directly when Ms Couric inquired about whether she had been involved in any negotiations with the Russians.

'We have trade missions back and forth,' she said. 'We...we do... it's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Mr Putin rears his head and comes into the airspace of the United States of America, where...where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border.'

Ms Palin, looking at Ms Couric intently, kept on going. '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.'

That exchange was so startling it ricocheted across the Internet several hours before it appeared on CBS and was picked up by rival networks.

Asked why she got a passport only last year, Ms Palin said, 'I'm not one of those who, maybe, came from a background of, you know, kids who perhaps graduate from college and their parents give them a passport and give them a backpack and say go off and travel the world.

'No, I've worked all my life. In fact, I usually had two jobs all my life until I had kids. I was not a part of, I guess, that culture.'

ASSOCIATED PRESS, NEW YORK TIMES