GENEVA, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- The United States and Russia Friday ended a week of talks on the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), but failed to make a decision to extend it, the U.S. side said in a statement.

    U.S. and Russian representatives started the talks in Geneva on Monday to consider whether to extend the treaty, which will expire on Dec. 5, 2009.

    Officials from former Soviet¹ republics Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine also participated in the talks.

    "The parties desire to point out that there was no treaty requirement to make a decision to extend the treaty at this meeting," said the U.S. statement.

    But the parties "will continue to consider the issue and note that a decision on this issue can be made up until the date of expiration² of the treaty," the statement added.

    START was the first treaty between the United States and the former Soviet Union to reduce strategic offensive weapons.

    Its provisions specified³ that talks on the extension of the treaty should begin at least a year before its expiration.