U.S., Russia close to reaching arms deal, says Russian foreign minister

Russia and the United States will sign a new nuclear arms deal shortly, the Russian foreign ministry said Wednesday. Sergei Lavrov sounded upbeat Wednesday when asked about the prospects for a quick successor deal to the 1991 START I treaty that expired Friday.  In Washington, Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, and Linton Brooks, arms control negotiator for the Bush administration, also were optimistic an agreement could be reached soon. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Wednesday that while negotiators continue to work to replace the expired treaty, no ceremony has been scheduled to sign a new treaty.

 

Associated Press