Russia: Arms reduction treaty ready to be signed

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says a new strategic arms reduction treaty was practically ready to be signed between Moscow and Washington.

Russia and the United States have been in intense talks over the past few months. They are trying to clinch a deal on a replacement document to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty that expired on December 5th.

Lavrov also said on Saturday the new treaty is based on some fundamentally new principles, such as equal rights, parity, and reciprocal trust.

Along with an improved economic dialogue, Russia and the U.S. are working on a string of international issues including Afghanistan, the Middle East, Iran's nuclear program, and the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

A Russian Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile parades through Red Square in Moscow.(AFP/File/Dmitry Kostyukov)