The United States and Russia are getting closer towards signing an agreement to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty ( START 1). White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, told reporters at his daily press briefing that there are still issues that have to be worked out that stand in the way of that ultimate agreement. <br/> <br/>START is a bilateral treaty between the US and former USSR on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms.<br/> <br/>The treaty was signed on July 31, 1991 and entered into force on December 5, 1994. The treaty was set to expire on December 5, 2009, but currently remains in force indefinitely pending agreement on a successor.<br/><br/>