world and the dynamic internal developments in various countries. The Washington talks centred on arms limitation and reduction problems, and above all on issuess related to finalizing the START treaty. The discussions received a political boost as a result of the message sent by President M.S. Gorbachev to President Bush of the United States, which set forth new major ideas both on general measures for enhancing strategic stability and on solutions to some important issues at the NST talks. The sides reaffirmed their intention, agreed in Malta, to work for the signing of the START treaty before the end of this year, and with that purpose in mind to have it initialled in the course of the forthcoming visit by M.S. Gorbachev to the United States. The participants in the Washington negotiations concentrated on seeking agreement on outstanding key issues in the future START treaty - relating to air-launched and sea-launched cruise missiles. So far it has not proved possible to eliminate differences altogether, but the sides agreed to exert maximum efforts to do so in the time remaining before the summit. Package solutions are being earnestly sought on both ALCMs and SLCMs. There are still divergencies on some elements of these packages, although on others such an agreement is already taking shape. But these are package solutions, and until we reach agreement on the whole there can be no final agreement on the constituent parts. This is the normal negotiating process. At the Washington meeting a thoroughgoing exchange of views was held on future START talks which would begin immediately following the signing of the treaty on 50 per cent reductions which we are working on now. The Soviet side submitted its draft joint statement in this regard which could be adopted at 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing a meeting between world leaders, specifically the United States and the Soviet Union, to discuss arms limitation and reduction agreements. The language used is technical and focused on specific issues related to military treaties, suggesting that the topic is not related to economic or social development. The text also mentions a draft joint statement, which implies that the discussion is focused on international relations and diplomacy rather than domestic issues.

**Category**
International relations, Science and technology