Clinton, Lavrov praise progress toward new nuclear deal (Roundup)

Mar 18, 2010, 18:44 GMT

Moscow - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton praised Thursday their countries' efforts towards reaching a strategic arms reduction treaty as well as the need for partnership between the superpowers.

'We are happy that the negotiators have carried out the instructions of both presidents,' Lavrov said, referring to the talks in Geneva on a new treaty to succeed the START-1 which expired last December.

In July 2009 Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his US counterpart Barack Obama agreed on a framework in which the new treaty would aim to reduce nuclear stockpiles from 2,200 warheads to a range of 1,500 to 1,675 warheads.

Lavrov said that Medvedev and Obama would be able to agree 'very soon' on the venue and date for signing the new agreement.

Clinton said that 'important progress' had been achieved towards the new treaty and stresse dthat the US and Russia must work as 'partners' in the worldwide effort to achieve security regarding fissionable materials and to fight nuclear terrorism.

'Many people in Russia and the United States and the entire world are depending on the common work of our two countries,' she said.

Lavrov, in remarks just before meeting with Clinton, said dhe US was 'no longer an enemy, but also not yet a friend.' At the same time, he described the Medvedev-Obama relationship, 20 years after the end of the Cold War, as being one of 'trust.'

According to reports in Moscow, the two countries aim to have finalised the new strategic arms treaty before the planned nuclear summit set for mid-March in Washington.

Both Prague and Kiev were mentioned as possible venues for signing the new accord.

The positive remarks by Lavrov and Clinton on Thursday contrasted with a warning issued Tuesday by Russia's top parliamentarian warned that the legislature would block the new treaty if it excluded the issue of US missile shield plans in Romania.

Boris Gryzkov, speaker of the State Duma, warned that the body would block ratification of the followup treaty if it permitted the US to pursue further those plans.