Russian MFA makes statement timed to completion of START terms
04.12.2009 20:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Validity of the signed on July 31, 1991 Treaty
between the USSR and the USA on the Reduction and Limitation of
Strategic Offensive Arms (START Treaty – Strategic Arms Reduction
Treaty) expires on December 4, 2009.

Russia has exercised the rights and responsibilities borne by the
Treaty as a state – successor to the USSR. According to the statement
Russian Foreign Ministry, the treaty has played a vital role in
ensuring international peace, security and strategic stability. START
has greatly strengthened the regime of nuclear non-proliferation and
gave significant impetus to disarmament, becoming a tangible and
consistent step towards a world free of nuclear weapons.

"Russia and the United States fully complied with their obligations
under the Treaty. In total, since the end of the Cold War, Russia has
more than twice reduced the number of strategic warheads, eliminating
more than 3,000 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and
submarine launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), some 1500 launchers of
ICBMs and SLBMs as well as more than 45 atomic submarines and more
than 65 heavy bombers.

Implementation of the START Treaty would have been impossible without
efforts of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine in accordance with the
Protocol to the Treaty, signed on May 23, 1992 in Lisbon.

Intensive work to prepare for the signing of a full-length two-way
legally binding treaty on measures for further reduction and
limitation of strategic offensive arms is nearing its completion.
The future treaty should become another milestone in the disarmament
and nonproliferation, mark transition to a higher level of interaction
between Russia and the United States, reaffirm the common goals of the
two countries in the promotion of mutual and global security. Russia
calls on all States and, above all, states possessing nuclear
arsenals, to join its ongoing cooperation with U.S. efforts in
disarmament," the statement of RF Foreign Ministry stressed.