Russia, U.S. agree on arms reduction, Afghanistan

PanARMENIAN.Net - Presidents Dmitry Medvedev of Russia and Barack Obama of the United States held talks in Moscow on Monday, the Kremlin's press office said.



Following the talks, the two presidents signed a package of documents regarding anti-missile defense, further reduction of strategic offensive arms, military cooperation, and nuclear cooperation.



In particular, the presidents signed the Joint Understanding on Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms.



An intergovernmental agreement was signed regarding the transport of weapons, military hardware, defense materials, and personnel through Russian territory, to aid US armed forces in their efforts to assure security, stability, and restoration in Afghanistan.



The two sides signed a framework document on building cooperation between Russian and U.S. armed forces, as well as a memorandum affirming a working plan for improving military cooperation between the two nations' armed forces in 2009.



A decision was made to create a U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission to provide better structure to their bilateral relationship. This new coordinating mechanism for building bilateral cooperation will replace the existing Gore-Chernomyrdin Commission.



A memorandum was signed between Russia and the United States' health ministries, and the sides exchanged notes on the U.S.-Russia Joint Commission on Prisoners of War and Missing in Action.



Afterwards, Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama held a joint press conference.