The top US envoy on disarmament issues Mr John Bolton has discussed strategic security with his Russian counterpart Mr Georgy Mamedov ahead of a forthcoming Russia-US presidential summit, the Russian foreign ministry said this afternoon.
A US embassy spokesman said he had no information on Mr Bolton's talks other than that he was in Moscow for a brief visit to discuss "the usual security issues."
Mr Bolton, the US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, arrived Saturday, just a day after Russia and the United States bridged their differences over a UN Security Council resolution ordering Iraq to scrap its chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programmes or face "serious consequences."
The foreign ministry said Mr Bolton and Mr Mamedov agreed that resolution 1441 approved on Friday "creates further conditions for Russia-US cooperation in strengthening the non-proliferation regime against weapons of mass destruction."
As quoted by the Interfax news agency, MR Bolton said Washington would like to see the Russia-US Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions ratified as soon as possible.
Asked whether the treaty could be ratified by the end of 2002 as Russia has requested, Bolton said this would depend on the timetable of US senators "which is not yet determined," Interfax said.
AFP