A Foreign Ministry spokesman has voiced hope that Moscow and Washington will be able to negotiate a successor to a Cold War-era arms control treaty that expires next month.
Andrei Nesterenko said Friday that Moscow hopes that the next round of U.S.-Russian arms control talks produce a deal before the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty expires on Dec. 5.
Russian and U.S. diplomats are set to launch another round of negotiations in Geneva on Monday.
Nesterenko told a briefing that last week's visit to Moscow by U.S. National Security Adviser James Jones helped bring the countries' positions closer.
Talks on a successor to START I have been a major part of efforts to overcome a strain in U.S.-Russian ties.
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