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Russia, US agree to meeting of experts on military doctrines

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also pointed towards the issue of verification and transparency, saying that Russia and the US have yet reconcile their approaches and to find the way to conjugate them

MOSCOW, June 25. /TASS/. Russia and the US agreed to a meeting of experts on military doctrines and nuclear strategies during the June 22 Vienna talks on stability and arms control, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday.

"During the Vienna consultations, the sides agreed to conduct a meeting of experts on military doctrines and nuclear strategies, including the issues of use of nuclear weapons," the diplomat said.

The delegations also agreed on expert-level contacts on the issues of all kinds of weapons, capable of solving strategic tasks and affect strategic stability.

"We are talking about the means that are not currently covered by any international restrictive regimes. Russian is open to for further dialogue on strategic stability, it seeks to build further relation with the US in arms control, strictly on a parity basis and in reliance on the principle of mutual accounting of interests and concerns of the sides," the spokeswoman said.

She also pointed towards the issue of verification and transparency, pointing out that Russia and the US have yet reconcile their approaches and to find the way to conjugate them.

"This is, of course, not an easy task, because our views on this block of issues differ significantly," Zakharova said.

"The important outcome of the meeting is the sides’ affirmation of interest in further dialogue on the issues of stability, safety and arms control. Topics for further discussion in a bilateral format have been determined. In particular, the sides confirmed the agreement, achieved during the previous round of the dialogue on strategic stability, on a meeting on space," the diplomat noted.

According to Zakharova, Russia intends to raise questions regarding the US defense space strategy during this meeting.

On June 22, Russian-American consultations on strategic stability and arms control took place in Vienna. Russian delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov. The US delegation was led by Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs Marshall Billingslea. The sides also discussed the issue of extension of the New START treaty.

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