U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton said that Washington and Moscow are making «substantial progress» in negotiating a replacement pact to an expired strategic nuclear arms reduction treaty, according to AP. Clinton spoke Thursday in Moscow during a two-day visit for talks on a range of international issues. The long-awaited replacement to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty _ which expired Dec. 5 _ is a pillar of the so-called reset in relations between the Cold War foes. President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, called for a quick signing at their Moscow summit in July, but negotiations stalled over such issues as counting methods, verification procedures and U.S. plans for a missile defense system in Europe. Commenting on the pact, Clinton said: «We will be reaching a final agreement soon.»
