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Next Russia-US consultations on New START due in April — diplomat

PARIS, February 12./TASS/. A new meeting of the Russian-US commission on the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) will take place in April, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told journalists on Tuesday.

"A next meeting will be in April," he confirmed.

The New START treaty, which came into force in 2011, gives the parties seven years to reduce their weapons. The document limits each side to no more than 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) and strategic bombers, no more than 1,550 deployed warheads and 800 deployed and non-deployed launchers.

The Treaty is set to remain in effect for ten years unless a new document is signed to replace it. The Treaty can also be extended for no more than five years (that is, until 2026) by mutual agreement of the parties.

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