30 January 2017, 10:36 GMT
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev welcomed Monday recent phone talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump as a resumption of a dialogue on a broad range of issues of mutual concern, including nuclear arms reduction.
Putin and Trump held on Saturday the first phone conversation after the inauguration of the 45th US president on January 20.
"It is good that such talks took place…According to media reports, the sides touched upon a broad agenda, and I welcome it," Gorbachev told Sputnik.
According to the ex-Soviet leader, Moscow and Washington should not limit themselves to discussion of urgent problems and current conflicts, but should launch a dialogue on all issues, including global, regional and bilateral.
"It seems to me that such a dialogue has just started," Gorbachev added.
Gorbachev stressed that in light of a new arms race, the Russian and US leaders must act immediately to reduce nuclear arms stockpiles, to prevent wars and militarization of global politics.
