U.S. asked to sign a treaty on strategic offensive arms in PragueU.S. asked to sign a treaty on strategic offensive arms in Prague.

United States appealed to the Czech Republic to organize a signing ceremony in Prague, with Russia a new treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (START), said on Wednesday, Agence France Press referring to the statement by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to the agency, Prague, Washington has already sent the appropriate request, but the date of signing the contract it is not defined. "They (the U.S.) have made a request of the possibility of this (signing) in Prague, and we agreed. To date, no dates are not specified," - the words quoted by Agence France-Presse, Press Officer of the Czech diplomatic corps, Jiri Benes (Jiri Benes). This Benes said that the final decision on the date and place of signing of the treaty should take Moscow and Washington. Earlier, Ukraine appealed to Russia and the U.S. initiative to sign an agreement in Kiev. Validity of the contract between Russia and the United States on reducing strategic offensive arms (START), which provides for 15 years the process of planned to reduce nuclear arsenals of the two countries expired on Dec. 5, 2009. Moscow and Washington were negotiating a new instrument on the START and repeatedly stated that he could be signed shortly. The fact that the U.S. and Russia may sign a treaty on strategic offensive arms in April and probably not in Washington but in Europe, last Friday, March 19, after negotiations, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Deputy Government Staff Yuri Ushakov. At held in Moscow on March 19 talks Foreign ministers of the two countries noted the progress in preparing the document, but did not give any time or place of signing. "We are very close to finalizing a new agreement on limiting strategic arms. Our negotiators were able to resolve the most important issues. The remaining are some technical issues," - said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "We're not going to look forward to," take away the thunder "from the ads, which will be done, let's not make this announcement now," - she added. According to the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, President Dmitry Medvedev during a meeting with Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed satisfaction with the way Follow the instructions given to them, and President Barack Obama negotiators in Geneva. A few days later, on March 22, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Russia and the U.S. in the coming days will finalize a new contract. "We are literally on the verge, I think in the coming days will be completed this deal," - he said. Speaking about the possible place of signing the document, the diplomat noted that "the question of agreement between the two parties, and while not complete semantic work, talk about the place (signing) is difficult." Earlier, President Medvedev said that the contract can be signed in any country. "We can do it anywhere, as long as the material was ready," - he said during his visit to the U.S. in September 2009.