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Russian, US senior diplomats to discuss issue of prolonging START Treaty

The consultations between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and Int'l Security Andrea Thompson will be held in Geneva on July 17-18

MOSCOW, July 5. /TASS/. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov expects that it will be possible to launch the structured process of dialogue over arms control, including New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), at a meeting with US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs Andrea Thompson.

"It is necessary to launch some sort of a structured process. I hope that it will happen and that will be neither occasional nor take place only in critical situations," Ryabkov told journalists on Friday. "[We would like to discuss] whether there are common points in the sphere of arms control. Of course, the issue of prolonging the START Treaty is thorny."

"Dialogue is established, contacts are held, but, firstly, there is no confidence that it will be carried out if not permanently, than regularly at least. Secondly, [there is no confidence] that we will be able to reverse the trend toward derailing the system of agreements in this sphere, which is obvious and is alarming to us," Ryabkov added.

The consultations between Ryabkov and Thompson will be held in Geneva on July 17-18.

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