The United States has slowed down talks on a nuclear arms reduction deal with Russia in the last few days, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday.
Asked to comment on media reports that a new landmark pact to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which expired on December 5, is unlikely to be signed this year, Lavrov said: "Work is continuing, but we have noticed a slowdown in U.S. negotiators' efforts."
Echoing earlier statements from Washington, Lavrov said the deal was unlikely to be signed in Copenhagen on the sidelines of the ongoing UN climate conference this week.
Lavrov said that while there were still a lot of small details to be addressed, "we are moving toward our goal."
A State Department official said on the condition of anonymity on Wednesday that the new START 1 treaty was unlikely to be signed before this year, the deadline earlier set by the two countries' presidents.
The statements come after Washington and Moscow said earlier this month they were wrapping up talks on the replacement to the START treaty, a core of the Cold-War era bilateral nuclear disarmament. Media reports suggested it could be signed in the Danish capital.
"We have already agreed on a lot of issues of fundamental importance and must take care not to restart old discussions," Lavrov said.
He also said the U.S. and Russia must seek two main goals - to reduce as many weapons as possible and drop control and verification arrangements used in the Cold War period.
Presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama announced at their first meeting in April that the two countries would replace the START 1 treaty as part of their efforts to "reset" bilateral ties strained in recent years.
The treaty's outline agreed by the presidents included cutting nuclear arsenals to 1,500-1,675 operational warheads and delivery vehicles to 500-1,000.
MOSCOW, December 17 (RIA Novosti)
