Russia, US close to signing arms reduction treaty

Russia and the United States are close to signing a new treaty, to reduce long-range nuclear weapons.

Negotiations on the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START, have been so successful the two sides are now deciding on a time and place to sign the deal.

At a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that preparation on the successor START treaty has reached its final stage.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, left, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov shake hands before their talks in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, March 18, 2010. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)