The Administration has characterized it as a first step toward agreement on the treaty limiting long-range arms.
The officials added that serious efforts would also be made to seek an agreement to cut long-range strategic nuclear arms.
If another treaty, reducing long-range arms, is reached later this year, the role of the new agency could be expanded further.
Then they resumed talks on long-range arms, human rights and regional issues.
Both leaders want a treaty that would cut long-range nuclear arms nearly in half.
The coming Moscow meeting may be critical to the Administration's effort to reduce long-range arms.
They are searching for agreement on reducing long-range, strategic nuclear arms.
American officials said that no important progress was made today in talks toward a separate agreement reducing long-range nuclear arms.
One possible casualty is the Start 2 treaty to slash long-range nuclear arms.
Can any headway be made in the more important areas of long-range arms and defensive systems?
