http://top.rbc.ru/english/index.shtml?/news/english/2009/12/17/17180252_bod.shtml
RosBuesinessConsulting December 17, 2009 Russia, U.S. unlikely to ink new strategic arms treaty in 2009 A new strategic nuclear weapons treaty (START) between Russia and the USA is not likely to be signed during the UN summit on climate change in Copenhagen, in which both the Russian and American presidents are scheduled to participate, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a press conference in Moscow today. The Russian official expressed hope, however, that the document would be drafted over a short period of time, noting that there were still many matters to be discussed by legal counsels and editors from both countries. Lavrov also indicated that the Russian delegation was ready to continue work, while American negotiators had been citing the need for additional instructions in the last few days. If the new treaty is not signed before the end of the summit in Copenhagen on December 18, it is not likely to be signed in 2009 at all, since no further meetings between the two leaders are scheduled before the year-end. As reported earlier, presidents of Russia and the U.S. - Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama - held a telephone conversation last week to discuss the progress in the drafting of the new treaty and exchange opinions on the results of consultations between their countries’ respective delegations. The two leaders view this document as a foundation for the strategic stability in the world. On December 5, a strategic nuclear weapons treaty, signed back in 1991 by President of the U.S.S.R. Mikhail Gorbackev and President of the U.S. George Bush, expired. =========================== Stop NATO http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato To subscribe, send an e-mail to: stopnato-subscr...@yahoogroups.com Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato/messages http://lists.topica.com/lists/ANTINATO/read ==============================