Moscow, 2nd March, 2010: Russia and the United States are getting close to a deal on reducing their nuclear arsenals through a follow-up to the START treaty, Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev and US officials have said.
"We are close to agreeing all issues," Medvedev told reporters in Paris yesterday.
"We are already agreeing on the nuances of the text. I hope that these talks will be brought to a conclusion in the nearest future."
Negotiations on a replacement to the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) between Moscow and Washington, which expired December 5, have dragged on for months despite reports that the two sides are near agreement.
In Washington, senior US officials speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed that a deal was in the offing, one adding that President Barack Obama plans "dramatic reductions" in the country's nuclear arsenal.
