Russia: Work on new arms treaty with U.S. nears end

MOSCOW, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Russia and the United States could clinch a new nuclear arms reduction treaty within weeks, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

The talks held last week during a visit to Moscow by U.S. National Security Advisor James Jones and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen were successful, foreign ministry spokesman Igor Lyakin-Frolov said.

"We hope that our negotiators will need just a few weeks to work out a final document," Lyakin-Frolov was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.

Lyakin-Frolov confirmed that the two countries would resume nuclear disarmament talks in Geneva on Feb. 1.

Earlier in the day, U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said Russia and the United States would continue negotiations on a new treaty on Monday in Geneva.

"Negotiating teams for both the U.S. and the Russian side will convene and hopefully will arrive at a quality agreement that meets the needs and interests of both sides," Crowley told a press briefing.

Disputes over verification and control procedures have prevented Moscow and Washington from reaching a successor to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START-1) that expired on Dec. 5.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Sunday the new arms cuts pact with the United States was "95 percent coordinated."

The new treaty's outline, as agreed by the Russian and U.S. presidents, includes slashing nuclear arsenals to 1,500-1,675 operational warheads and delivery vehicles to 500-1,000.