U.s., Russia To Ink A New Abm Treaty?

The ambassador of the United States to Russia Alexander Vershbow does not rule out that during an upcoming meeting between George W.Bush and Vladimir Putin in the United States a document on a range of matters, including the ABM problem, can be signed. When asked whether Igor Ivanov and Colin Powell are going to prepare a document to be signed by the two presidents, Vershbow said that the Ivanov-Powell meeting will be part of such preparations. We would like to find a common approach to switchover from the ABM treaty to a new agreement on strategic stability, said Vershbow. Messrs. Ivanov and Powell will also discuss other items on the agenda of the forthcoming summit meeting -- economic and investment issues, the fight against international terrorism and Afghanistan's future. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov will visit Washington on a fleeting one-day visit on October 31.