MOSCOW, March 23. /TASS/. Russia is prepared to discuss the possibility of further reduction of nuclear capabilities, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday.

"We are ready to discuss the possible further gradual reduction of nuclear capabilities but taking into account all factors that affect strategic stability rather than only the quantity of strategic offensive weapons," the minister said speaking at the Russian General Staff's Military Academy.

"We are ready to discuss this issue proceeding from the growing urgency of making this process multilateral."

Lavrov emphasized that the time has not come yet for abandoning nuclear weapons completely. "Efforts to coerce nuclear powers to abandon nuclear weapons have intensified significantly recently. It is absolutely clear that the time has not yet come for that," he noted.