Russia and the US began landmark negotiations yesterday to cut their stockpiles of nuclear weapons.

Officials opened talks in Rome with the intention of replacing the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start), which expires in December. Both sides cut their nuclear arsenals under that treaty to a maximum of 5,000 weapons each, compared with a peak of 30,000 in the Cold War.

The talks follow a declaration by President Obama and President Medvedev in London on April 1 that the United States and Russia wished to work towards a world free of nuclear weapons. The negotiating teams have been told to report back by July, when Mr Obama is expected to make his first official visit to Moscow.

Experts believe that Russia and America are ready to cut their arsenals to 1,500 weapons each. The US has 2,200 strategic nuclear warheads deployed, and Russia 2,800.

Yesterday's meeting focused on procedural matters for the start of negotiations in May. Rose Gottemoeller, the US Assistant Secretary of State, responsible for verification and compliance, said that the talks were “very productive”. Mr Medvedev said this week that the treaty should “limit the delivery systems of the nuclear warheads, not only the quantity of warheads”.

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