MUNICH, February 8 (RIA Novosti) - Russia intends to discuss a new nuclear arms pact with the United States as soon as the U.S. side is ready for that, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Sunday.

The Strategic Arms Reduction (START-1) Treaty signed between the Soviet Union and the United States in 1991 expires on December 5, 2009.

"I believe some special mechanism will be created on this score and negotiations will start quite quickly and actively as soon as the U.S. side is ready for them," Ivanov said after his talks with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden at a security conference in Munich.

Ivanov said the disarmament theme, especially cuts in strategic offensive armaments, was one of the most important topics as there was little time left before December 5.

The START-I Treaty places a limit of 6,000 strategic or long-range nuclear warheads on each side, and limits the number of delivery vehicles, such as bombers, land-based and submarine-based missiles, to 1,600 each.