U.S., Russia Quietly Begin Nuclear Weapon Reduction Talks In Moscow

May 19, 2009 8:41 a.m. EST

Moscow, Russia (AHN) - The United States and Russia have begun a new round of talks aimed at reducing their collective nuclear weapon stockpiles. Senior diplomats are meeting in Moscow to continue work on the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), which was proposed during the Cold War.

U.S. negotiators are led by Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller who will take a team of experts from the Defense Department and Department of Energy to meet with Russia's chief negotiator Anatoly Antonov, according to the BBC.

In April, President Barack Obama met with Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev. "As leaders of the two largest nuclear weapons states, we agreed to work together to fulfill our obligations under Article VI of the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and demonstrate leadership in reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the world," Obama said.

"We agreed to pursue new and verifiable reductions in our strategic offensive arsenals in a step-by-step process, beginning by replacing the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with a new, legally-binding treaty. We are instructing our negotiators to start talks immediately on this new treaty and to report on results achieved in working out the new agreement by July," Obama explained.

Washington will press Russia to secure its vast nuclear arsenal in an age of non-state actors and terrorism, yet Moscow will push for the new administration to end its missile defense system which the Kremlin eyes with suspicion. In April, Obama addressed America's need for a global missile defense shield, a project championed by his predecessor former President George W. Bush.

"While acknowledging that differences remain over the purposes of deployment of missile defense assets in Europe, we discussed new possibilities for mutual international cooperation in the field of missile defense, taking into account joint assessments of missile challenges and threats, aimed at enhancing the security of our countries, and that of our allies and partners. The relationship between offensive and defensive arms will be discussed by the two governments," Obama added.

The U.S. will also push Russia to abandon its support for Iran's nuclear power project. Moscow has supported Tehran's quest to develop civilian nuclear energy by using its power on the United Nations Security Council to suppress American efforts to censure the program. Nuclear proliferation will be on the agenda as the two nations meet this week.

"We intend to carry out joint efforts to strengthen the international regime for nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery," Obama said. "In this regard we strongly support the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and are committed to its further strengthening. Together, we seek to secure nuclear weapons and materials, while promoting the safe use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. We support the activities of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and stress the importance of the IAEA Safeguards system."