Moscow, Sep 21 (RIA Novosti) For the first time, in talks on a new nuclear arms reduction deal, Moscow and Washington would be discussing concrete provisions for reaching an agreement to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START-1) due to expire Dec 5.
The sixth round of talks on a new nuclear arms reduction deal between Russia and the US opens Monday in Geneva.
The Russian delegation is headed by Anatoly Antonov, director of the foreign ministry’s department of security and disarmament, while the US team is led by Rose Gottemoeller, assistant secretary of state .
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and US President Barack Obama agreed in July in Moscow on the outline of a new deal, cutting their operational nuclear warheads to 1,500-1,675 and delivery vehicles to 500-1,000.
Moscow plans to hold 4-5 rounds of these talks with Washington until December.
Medvedev said Sunday the chances to seal the agreements on a new treaty by 2009 are “high enough”.
According to a US State Department’s report, as of Jan 1 Russia has 3,909 nuclear warheads and 814 delivery vehicles, including ground-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine launched ballistic missiles and strategic bombers.
The report added the US had 5,576 warheads and 1,198 delivery vehicles.
