21.   Washington and Moscow are destroying nuclear weapons and transcontinental bombers in accordance with historic arms reductions treaties.

22.   Vershbow had been instrumental in the negotiations of the strategic arms limitation and strategic arms reductions treaties with the former Soviet Union.

23.   What the arms reduction treaty does show, however, is that the United States and Russia remain able and willing to cooperate constructively on strategic matters.

24.   A senior Cabinet member called on the Russian parliament Thursday to quickly ratify the START II arms reduction treaty with the United States.

25.   A senior Russian lawmaker predicted Russia will pull out of the Start I and Start II arms reduction treaties.

26.   Any U.S. sanctions on Russian companies doing business with Iran could further delay ratification of the START II arms reduction treaty, Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov said Tuesday.

27.   But he also is promising to deliver the intractable State Duma on START II nuclear arms reduction treaty, something he has failed to do in the past.

28.   But on topics such as the START-II nuclear arms reduction treaty and foreign investment, he has shown a willingness for compromise.

29.   Defense Secretary William Perry appealed to Russian lawmakers Thursday to approve the sweeping START II arms reduction treaty.

30.   Earlier, Perry appealed to Russian lawmakers to approve the sweeping START II arms reduction treaty.