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| US and Russia hold nuclear talks | US and Russia hold nuclear talks |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| US and Russian negotiators are meeting in Rome to begin work on a new treaty to curb nuclear weapons. | US and Russian negotiators are meeting in Rome to begin work on a new treaty to curb nuclear weapons. |
| The talks are the first step towards replacing the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start-1), signed in 1991, which runs out at the end of the year. | The talks are the first step towards replacing the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start-1), signed in 1991, which runs out at the end of the year. |
| Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev agreed to the talks at their first meeting earlier this month. | Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev agreed to the talks at their first meeting earlier this month. |
| But there are areas of disagreement and meeting the December deadline will be difficult, correspondents say. | But there are areas of disagreement and meeting the December deadline will be difficult, correspondents say. |
| In particular, Moscow has expressed concern at US plans to build an anti-missile system in central Europe. | In particular, Moscow has expressed concern at US plans to build an anti-missile system in central Europe. |
| US-RUSSIA ARMS ACCORDS 1972: Salt I treaty agrees to freeze levels of strategic nuclear missile launchers and submarines; Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty bans missile-defence systems1979: Salt II Treaty imposes for first time ceiling on strategic nuclear weapons1987: INF treaty eliminates short and medium-range missiles1991: Start I slashes nuclear arsenals by one-third1993: Start II treaty reduces number of nuclear warheads and bans use of MIRV warheads1999: US Senate blocks nuclear test ban treaty2000: Russian parliament ratifies Start II treaty2002: US withdraws from ABM Treaty; Russia withdraws from Start II the following day2002: Sort treaty commits both sides to cut arsenals by two-thirds US and Russia press reset button | |
| "One should bear in mind that the lower we go in terms of the numbers of warheads, the more serious issues linked to missile defence and the strategic potential of other nuclear powers appear," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the Russian news agency Interfax. | "One should bear in mind that the lower we go in terms of the numbers of warheads, the more serious issues linked to missile defence and the strategic potential of other nuclear powers appear," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the Russian news agency Interfax. |
| Russia has also said it would like to see a cut in delivery systems, such as rockets and submarines, not just warheads - an area not covered by existing agreements. | Russia has also said it would like to see a cut in delivery systems, such as rockets and submarines, not just warheads - an area not covered by existing agreements. |
| But both sides want to reduce their nuclear arsenals, the BBC's Duncan Kennedy in Rome says. | But both sides want to reduce their nuclear arsenals, the BBC's Duncan Kennedy in Rome says. |
| The US in particular believes it will give them greater moral and political force against countries with nuclear ambitions such as Iran and North Korea, he adds. | The US in particular believes it will give them greater moral and political force against countries with nuclear ambitions such as Iran and North Korea, he adds. |
| Both presidents want the new deal to improve on an agreement by their predecessors in 2002 to cut deployed warheads to between 1,700 and 2,200 on each side by 2012. | Both presidents want the new deal to improve on an agreement by their predecessors in 2002 to cut deployed warheads to between 1,700 and 2,200 on each side by 2012. |
| They have asked their negotiators to report on their progress by July. |