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Putin: New Arms Control Agreements Should be Legally Binding VOA News 31 Jan 2002 20:20 UTC 
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reaffirmed Moscow's view that any new arms control agreement with the United States should be legally binding.
Russian media quote Mr. Putin's press secretary, Alexei Gromov, as saying the Russian leader made the announcement during a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov in Moscow earlier Thursday.
Mr. Ivanov told reporters Russia wants a verifiable and transparent strategic offensive arms reduction. The Bush administration has said it prefers an informal agreement.
Meanwhile, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov is in Washington for a five day official visit. He and a Russian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Mamedov have been holding arms control talks with U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Colin Powell. The two sides are hopeful that the disarmament issue can be resolved before President Bush's official visit to Russia later this year.
Last November, Moscow and Washington pledged to drastically slash their nuclear arsenals - the United States from 1,700 to 2,200 and Russia to as low as 1,500.
Some information for this report provided by AFP and AP.
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