Obama and Medvedev to sign arms treaty

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his US President Barack Obama will sign a declaration on a new nuclear arms reduction treaty on April 1, a top Kremlin aide said on today, Russian media reported.

At the meeting in London, Medvedev and Obama will also sign a general declaration on US-Russian relations, Medvedev aide Sergei Prikhodko said.

"The two documents will have practical significance for the start of talks on a number of issues in the region and, we hope, on the issue of arms limitations," Interfax quoted Prikhodko as saying.

Russian officials have said that signing a successor to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START 1) is a priority in relations with the new US administration, which has pledged to "reset" ties with Russia after they reached post-Cold War lows under former President George W. Bush.