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Canceled bilateral nuclear pacts could still be signed

MOSCOW, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Pacts on nuclear industry cooperation stalled by a canceled meeting of the leaders of Russia and the United States may be saved, Russian media said Saturday.

The pacts were scheduled to be signed in September during a meeting of U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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Obama canceled the meeting this week, citing the lack of progress on the bilateral agenda and the granting of asylum by Russia to Edward Snowden, who is accused of leaking U.S. intelligence secrets.

However, an unnamed Russian defense official said the agreement will probably be signed "in foreseeable future," RIA Novosti reported, citing the Russian daily Kommersant.

One of the agreements would increase contact and the exchange of information between the countries on nuclear weapons proliferation. The other would permit collaboration between U.S. laboratories and Russia's state-owned nuclear monopoly Rosatom.

The latter agreement is reportedly still being drafted, but could be signed by energy officials of the respective countries, not the presidents, when it is finalized, the newspaper said.

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