Russia, US officially end negotiations on new START treaty

Presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama signed the treaty in Prague on April 8.

"We are very proud of the breakthrough and the historic treaty our presidents signed yesterday," Russian delegation head and Director of the Foreign Ministry's Security and Disarmament Department Anatoly Antonov said. "We are also satisfied with the constructive atmosphere of the negotiations."

Russia and the United States have no disagreements over the new document, he said, adding that a team of proofreaders would be working in Geneva for the next five days.

U.S. delegation head, Assistant Secretary of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Verification, Compliance and Implementation, Rose Gottemoeller said that the negotiations were complete and proofreaders would verify the compliance of English and Russian texts.

The negotiations, which have been for eleven months, are over. The delegates have had ten rounds of consultations, including one in Moscow and nine in Geneva. The bilateral advisory commission will be seated in Geneva for promoting the fulfillment of the treaty and have no less than two sessions per year; Kazinform cites Itar-Tass. See www.itar-tass.com