Russia's Foreign Minister Speaks Up For Need Of Consolidating Results Reached At Russia-america Summit In U.s.

Russia "proceeds from the need promptly to strengthen in deed the results" reached at a recent Russian-American summit in the United States, said Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov after the meeting between Vladimir Putin and the United States' Secretary of State Colin Powell. Igor Ivanov participated in the meeting. The elaboration of "a reliable, juridically sealed document on radical reduction of the strategic offensive weapons at the preservation of due control and transparency" is needed above all, stressed the chief Russian diplomat. In turn, Colin Powell also declared that the theme of reduction of strategic offensive weapons stood out at today's negotiations. To him, the sides should work so as to bring closer a more or less parallel reduction. At today's talks Vladimir Putin has one more time declared the need of putting these reductions on a contractual basis, said the American state secretary. The Russian head of state has proposed to do so before the visit of President George W.Bush to Moscow in the middle of next year. He also stressed that, in preparing a new document, the control and transparency procedures, which were present in the present documents, are to be preserved. Igor Ivanov and Colin Powell said that the form for a future document has not yet been determined, be it a treaty or whatever else. According to the American state secretary, the main thing, which the sides realize, is that such a document has to be prepared that would determine new levels for strategic offensive armaments. He said today they discussed figures as well -- the numerical level of strategic offensive weapons which Russia is ready to agree to as minimal. At the same time, before speaking up here I have to report it to George Bush, said Colin Powell.