A Russian-U.S. inter-parliamentary group will meet in Washington on April 18-22 to discuss ratification of the new treaty on the reduction of strategic offensive weapons, signed by U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Prague on April 8.
"We are planning to exchange opinions with our American colleagues on prospects for the ratification," said Mikhail Margelov, head of the international affairs committee in the upper house of the Russian parliament.
He said the Russian delegation would include members of the Federation Council, experts, scholars, and representatives of the business community.
"We also intend to discuss the results of the [Washington] nuclear summit," he said.
At talks with Obama in Prague, Medvedev stressed that Russia and the United States should introduce the arms reduction treaty for ratification simultaneously "so that neither country feels disadvantaged."
The two countries, which possess about 90% of global arsenals of nuclear weapons, agreed to reduce the number of nuclear warheads to 1,550 on each side and the number of deployed and non-deployed delivery vehicles to 800 on each side.
MOSCOW, April 18 (RIA Novosti)
