Russia and the United States have opportunities to make important decisions, including on START, Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev said in the talks with his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama in the Kremlin on July 6, RIA Novosti reported.
"Our countries face different problems, including ensuring global security and problems of strategic offensive armament. I believe we have all opportunities to make important and necessary decision on the whole agenda," Medvedev said.
At the end of high-level talks, the Russian and U.S. presidents plan to sign a framework paper on the Strategic Offensive Arms (START), which would not have legally binding status, but include directions for further work on the text of a future agreement.
The current agreement on offensive arms reduction was signed on July 31, 1991, shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union and came into force on Dec. 4 in 1994 for 15 years.