G20: US and Russia to discuss nuclear weapons

Published on Wednesday 1 April 2009 22:10

THE first talks between the United States and Russia on nuclear weapons for more than a decade were given the go-ahead yesterday when the leaders of the former Cold War superpowers met in London.

Barack Obama, the US president, accepted an invitation from Dmitry Medvedev, his Russian counterpart, to travel to Moscow in July. It came after Mr Obama called for joint action to tackle the "greatest threat to humanity" – the risk of nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorists.

Yesterday's meeting, separate from preparations for today's G20 summit, heralded a new relationship between the US and Russia. The two countries promised to agree a new, legally binding nuclear weapons reduction treaty to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty that expires this year. This limited each country to 2,200 warheads.

Mr Obama said: "Over the last several years, the relationship between our two countries has been allowed to drift.

"What I believe we've begun today is a very constructive dialogue that will allow us to work on issues of mutual interest."

Mr Medvedev said: "I am more optimistic of the successful development of our relationship."