Russia, US to ratify arms cut treaty in July
By IANSTuesday, July 6, 2010
Moscow, July 6 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia and the US are ready to get the new strategic arms reduction treaty ratified by their parliaments this month.
A senior Russian lawmaker said Tuesday that the parliaments of both countries were planning to prepare the treaty for ratification.
Konstantin Kosachyov, head of the international affairs committee in the lower house of Russian parliament, said that Russian and US lawmakers were continuing consultations on the issue.
The two countries signed a new treaty on the reduction of strategic weapons in Prague April 8. The document will replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty or START 1, which expired in December 2009.
The new pact stipulates that the number of nuclear warheads is to be cut to 1,550 on each side while the number of deployed and non-deployed delivery vehicles must not exceed 800 on each side.
President Barack Obama submitted the document to the US Senate for ratification May 13. His Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev handed over the treaty to Duma May 28.
Medvedev and Obama have agreed that the ratification processes should be simultaneous.
–IANS/RIA Novosti
