US And Russia Sign
Arms Reduction Deal
US
President Barack Obama and Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev have
signed a landmark strategic nuclear arms treaty in the Czech
capital, Prague.
The Presidents signed the pact at a ceremony in the mediaeval
Prague Castle after talks that covered nuclear security, Iran's
atomic programme and an uprising in the Central Asian state of
Kyrgyzstan, where both major powers have military bases.
The agreement
The treaty commits the former Cold War enemies to each reduce
the number of deployed strategic warheads to one thousand five
hundred and fifty, which is thirty percent lower than the
previous ceiling.
It also limits the number of deployed ‘launchers’ -
ballistic missiles and heavy bombers - to no more than seven
hundred.
The deal replaces the expired Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty of
1991.
The treaty must be ratified by the US Senate and the Russian
Duma.
After it was agreed, Mr. Obama hailed the deal as the most
comprehensive weapons control agreement in nearly two decades.
Start of new obligations
Obama said the agreement had ‘ended the drift’ in
relations between Moscow and Washington and sent a strong signal
that the two powers that together possess 90 percent of
all atomic weapons were taking their disarmament obligations
seriously.
’’We are working together at the United Nations Security
Council to pass strong sanctions on Iran and we will not
tolerate actions that flout the NPT,’’ he said, referring to
the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
’’My expectation is that we are going to be able to secure
strong, tough sanctions on Iran this spring,’’ he added.
Medvedev said he regretted Tehran had not reacted to
constructive proposals on its nuclear programme and the Security
Council might have to take further sanctions, but they should be
‘smart’ and not bring disaster on the Iranian people.
’’Today we had a very open, frank and straight forward
discussion of what can be done and cannot be done,’’ the
Russian president said.
Both men said they hoped and expected the new treaty would be
ratified this year.
Medvedev, mindful
of past problems in winning approval in the treaty-shy U.S.
Senate, said the
ratification process should ‘proceed simultaneously.’
Obama said he was convinced there would be bipartisan Senate
support.
Medvedev reaffirmed Moscow's warning that it could withdraw from
the treaty if U.S.
missile defence
plans undermined the basis for strategic arms control.
Nuclear proliferation review
Earlier on Tuesday, President Obama unveiled the new Nuclear
Posture Review, narrowing the circumstances in which the US
would use nuclear weapons.
It said the United States will not use or threaten to use
nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapons states that are
party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and in compliance
with their nuclear non-proliferation obligations.
Countries which the US regards as not complying with the NPT
include Iran and North Korea. North Korea pulled out of the NPT
in 2003; while the US claims Iran is secretly developing nuclear
weapons, which Tehran denies.
Mr. Obama also pledged not to develop any new nuclear weapons, a
move pushed through in the face of strong resistance by the
Pentagon.
Other issues
The situation in Kyrgyzstan, where opposition protesters forced
out President Kurmanbek Bakiyev on Wednesday, thrust its way on
to the agenda as both Washington and Moscow have military bases
in the poor Central Asian state.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin effectively recognised the
interim Kyrgyz government formed by opposition leader Roza
Otunbayeva on Thursday, speaking to her by telephone.
The State Department declined immediate comment on whether
Washington would follow suit.
Later on Thursday, Obama will dine with 11 heads of state
from Central and Eastern Europe. Czech diplomats said the
meeting was designed to reassure former Soviet bloc countries
that resetting relations with Russia would not diminish U.S.
interests in the region.
REUTERS/BBC/Williams/Yinka
