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US and Russia to hold latest nuclear arms talks in Finland

US and Russia to hold latest nuclear arms talks in Finland

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The United States and Russia will hold a round of nuclear arms control talks in the Finland's capital, Helsinki, on Monday.

Thetalks on strategic stabilitywill follow up on negotiations in Austria this summer, the Finnish president's office said.

The office of the Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said"The round of discussions on strategic stability and nuclear weapons between the United States and Russia, which began in Vienna in the summer, will continue in Helsinki on Monday."

Anucleararms control pact between Russia and the United States is in focus as it expires in February.

Russia sees minimal chances of extending the New START treaty,the countries' last majornucleararms pact, as it does not accept conditions set out by Washington.

The office said nuclear arms negotiators from Washington and Moscow met a previous time in Finland in 2017.

"Finland welcomes the negotiators, this time (US) Ambassador (Marshall) Billingslea and (Russian) Deputy Foreign Minister (Sergei) Ryabkov," the statement said, adding that Niinisto would meet both representatives after the talks.

According to Russian news agency TASS, the previous round of consultations between Billingslea and Ryabkov were held in Vienna on August 17-18.