Considerable progress in Russia-U.S. understanding on security: political scientist

"But both sides have a political will to approve and sign a new treaty in December," Shevtsova said in a telephone conversation from Moscow.

Research Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment and Political Scientist Lilia Shevtsova told Trend News.

Today U.S. President Barack Obama's Moscow visit has ended. During the visit, the U.S. president met with his Russian counterpart Dmitriy Medvedev and discussed the START and the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM), as well as the Iranian issue and transit of the American goods to Russia. The agreement on Obama's visit to Moscow has been reached during the two leaders' April meeting in London before the G20 summit. At that time, Medvedev stated that he is satisfied with familiarization with his American counterpart and hopes for an interesting and fruitful meeting in the Russian capital. The visit took place on July 6-8.

In December 2008 and January 2009, the Russian media reported about development of a new START-2. However, there was not any exact data about its content. A term of the previous treaty expires in December 2009.

The sides have serious differences on the ABM issue, the political scientist said.

"Russia wanted to examine this problem in a package with the START, with which the U.S. did not agree. Although Obama is not fascinated with ABM and not convinced in its necessity, Americans are not yet ready to abandon it before the Kremlin and make serious concessions," Shevtsova said.

Until recently, the United States  were going to deploy a radar in the Czech Republic and ten missile interceptors in Poland till 2010 under the guise of protection from missile threats from Iran. Russia fears that these systems will threaten its security. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in early November in response to deployment of American missile defense system in Europe that Russia will deploy Iskander missiles in the Kaliningrad region and will use radio electronic elements of suppression of missile defense. However, after Barack Obama came to power, there are talks in the United States about the suspension or cancellation of the third position area in Europe.

Shevtsova said this issue will be discussed and perhaps, Obama, finally, will invite Russia to a joint construction of the ABM, but this is the issue of the future.

The political scientist assessed results on security issues as optimistically moderate.

"The most important progress for Americans was Russia's agreement to transit cargoes and troops of NATIO conducting a military operation in Afghanistan," she said.

However, the Iranian issue remains open, because a common ground has not been found on this issue, Shevtsova believes.

/Trend News/