US, Russia resume nuclear arms reduction talks
Agence France-Presse | 06/24/2009 9:26 PM
Printer-friendly version | 
Send to friend | 
Share your views
GENEVA - US and Russian negotiators resumed talks in Geneva on cutting their nuclear arsenals on Wednesday, in their last scheduled meeting before a summit between their presidents next month.
The two sides continued their third formal round of negotiations on replacing the Cold War era Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) at the US mission in the Swiss city, diplomats said.
The talks have been shrouded in secrecy, but the United States on Tuesday pointed to progress in the negotiations.
State Department spokesman Ian Kelly recalled that both US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, who meet early next month in Moscow, want "significant reductions" in their nuclear weapons arsenals.
"That's what each... country is working towards. I think that we've made progress in the talks that we've... had so far," Kelly told reporters in Washington without elaborating.
The attempt to strike a new deal to succeed the 1991 START treaty, which expires on December 5, is regarded as a key foundation in rebuilding US-Russian relations that deteriorated in the final stages of President George W. Bush's administration.
Russia has welcomed the talks as "constructive".
Medvedev reiterated last week that further nuclear arms reductions could only come about if Washington addressed Moscow's "concerns" about deployment of the US missile defence shield in ex-Soviet states in eastern Europe.
"In every case, the issue of the connection between strategic offensive and defensive weapons must be definitely fixed in any agreement," he added.
Kelly played down those differences.
"We don't make the linkage. We've heard what... the Russian side has said," Kelly added.
"This is something that I believe will be worked out between the two sides," Kelly said when asked if the differences represented an impediment before the summit.
"I do believe that we will reach the goal that the two presidents have set for themselves," said Kelly.
Moscow has reacted angrily to the US missile defence plans, saying they were a threat to Russian security, although Washington says they are not directed against Russia and are meant to protect against "rogue states" like Iran.
Disarmament experts have said they expect a deal on START to emerge by autumn, with deep, binding and verifiable destructions of nuclear arsenals that would act as a first confidence-building step between the superpowers.
Obama and Medvedev could also announce an intermediate "framework" agreement on START in Moscow.
But analysts also expect trade-offs with other issues including Russian demands on the missile shield, tactical weapons, and US hopes for cooperation on North Korea and Iran's nuclear programmes, that would ultimately be resolved later.
Comments