US and Russia Seek 2009 Arms Deal BBC has reported that Mrs Clinton said the US and Russia had to "reset" their ties. The US and Russia will try to clinch a new strategic arms reduction treaty (Start) by the end of 2009. "This is of the highest priority to our governments," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, after talks with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. In turn, Mr Lavrov described the current Start treaty - due to expire at the end of this year - as "obsolete". Mrs Clinton earlier said the Washington was keen to "reset" its ties with Moscow to end months of cool relations. Start 1, which limited the deployment of nuclear warheads to 6,000 per side along with 1,600 missiles and bombers, runs out in December this year. It was followed by Start 2 which brought warheads down to 3,500. After the talks in Geneva, Mrs Clinton and Mr Lavrov also said the two sides had agreed to work together on a number of issues of common and world interest, including Afghanistan, the Middle East and North Korea. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7926096.stm> But the two diplomats admitted that differences in their positions remained. Mrs Clinton said the relationship between the two countries needed "more trust, predictability and progress". Before the talks with Mr Lavrov began, Mrs Clinton gave him a mock "reset" button, as a symbol of Washington's desire to start afresh with Moscow. Speaking earlier in Brussels, Mrs Clinton said President Barack Obama's re-engagement with Russia did not mean Washington was giving way in its support for its allies. We feel that relation between US and Russia is vital for peaceof the world.In that context we welcome this engagement.We also feel that they have too many nuclear weapon.They should reduce these further,finally de-nuc;earising the world entirely. There should be nothing more than conventional weapons as was the case before second great war.
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