MOSCOW, November 2 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and the United States will continue negotiations on a new strategic arms deal to replace the START I treaty on November 9, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

"On October 19-30, a regular round of Russia-U.S. talks on a new accord to replace the strategic arms reduction treaty was held in Geneva. The parties continued intensive work to approve the text of a new agreement, bearing in mind that in accordance with the instructions of the presidents of both countries it must be signed by December 5, 2009," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Russian delegation in Geneva is headed by Anatoly Antonov, director of the Foreign Ministry's Department of Security and Disarmament, while the U.S. team of negotiators is led by Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller.

START I, the basis for the Russian-U.S. strategic nuclear disarmament treaty, expires on December 5.

The outlines of the new pact were agreed during the U.S. and Russian presidents' summit in Moscow in July and include cutting both countries' nuclear arsenals to 1,500-1,675 operational warheads and delivery vehicles to 500-1,000.

START 1 obliges the countries to reduce nuclear warheads to 6,000 and their delivery vehicles to 1,600 each. In 2002, a follow-up agreement on strategic offensive arms reduction was concluded in Moscow. The document, known as the Moscow Treaty, envisioned cuts to 1,700-2,200 warheads by December 2012.