MOSCOW. Feb 15 (Interfax) - Russia-U.S. consultations on a range of strategic issues are expected to take place between deputy foreign ministers in a European capital next week.

"Such consultations are planned to be held on February 21," a diplomatic source in Moscow told Interfax on Friday. Consultations will be held in one of the European countries, he said but would not say which.

As usual, the Russian delegation will be led by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak, and his U.S. counterpart will be Assistant Secretary of State John Rood.

In late 2007, Russia and the U.S. held several consultations on missile defense issues in the same format. Defense and foreign ministers also met in mid-October. Concurrently, consultations were held between experts on strategic nuclear forces.

However, these meetings failed to bridge the gap between Moscow and Washington on these strategic issues.