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[Second Issue of the Day]
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Russia says talk of US-Russia arms deal premature
MOSCOW, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov on Friday described as premature talk of a compromise between the United States and Russia allowing Washington to develop missile defence without scrapping a major arms treaty.
Commenting on a Washington Post report that the Russian and U.S. presidents were likely to announce an agreement to allow testing for a missile defence system and cut strategic nuclear warheads without dumping the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty, Ivanov said: "It is premature to speak of such accords."
The Post said on Thursday that a U.S. summit between U.S. President George W. Bush and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin would probably lead to a deal allowing extensive testing to develop a missile defence system, while also setting a target of cutting strategic nuclear warhead levels by about two-thirds.
The newspaper said the agreement would not scrap the ABM treaty but would allow Washington to start the testing and development programme it hopes to begin early next year.
Ivanov, speaking to reporters after meeting Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, said: "The question of the signing of a broad agreement on strategic stability is not on the agenda" of the November 13-15 summit in Washington and at Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas.
"There are difficult consultations on defence and offensive weapons," he added.
The United States says the ABM treaty has outlived its usefulness and is a relic of the Cold War, but Russia says it has continuing relevance and is a cornerstone of strategic stability.
U.S. national security adviser Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday it was making progress in talks with Russia on a strategic arms deal but that talks could continue for months.
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