MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th June, 2019) Russia plans to discuss in consultations with US Under Secretary of State Andrea Thompson the New START treaty, stating it as one of the central issues along with the situation around the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and the US deployment of a global missile defense, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Sputnik Friday.
The State Department earlier announced that Thompson would meet with Ryabkov in Prague next week to discuss strategic dialogue. Ryabkov confirmed the meeting would be held in Prague on June 12.
"We would like to designate the subject of the New START treaty, the prospects for the NPT review process, the situation with the CTBT, the situation with the prospect of the appearance of strike weapons in space, the situation with the unlimited deployment by the US of its global missile defense system as central points of our discussion," Ryabkov said.
He said the discussion of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty would not be a priority.
