U.S. says Russia arms deal close, talks resuming

[babylonsister]

U.S. says Russia arms deal close, talks resuming
Steve Gutterman
WASHINGTON
Wed Jan 13, 2010 5:25pm


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russia and the United States are "really close" to agreement on a landmark treaty to cut their nuclear arsenals, a senior U.S. arms control official said on Wednesday.

The top U.S. negotiator was headed to Moscow for talks on a replacement for the Cold War-era START I treaty, said Ellen Tauscher, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security.

Formal negotiations will resume in Geneva on January 25, Tauscher told reporters.

"I think we are really close," she said, although she would not predict when the treaty might be signed. "We are in a place where we are working very, very hard."

Forging a replacement for the 1991 START treaty is a key element of U.S. President Barack Obama's efforts to mend troubled relations with Russia, curb global arms proliferation and move toward a world without nuclear weapons.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60C51W20100113