US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) on April 8 in Prague , the Czech Republic.
The new START defines clearly the number of and process of strategic arms the two countries will have to cut down on as well as verification mechanisms of the process.
Under the new pact, the two countries agree to reduce their deployed nuclear warheads to 1,550 each, or 30 percent below the current level of 2,200, and cut the launchers to 700 each.
Once ratified by the US Senate and the Russian Duma, the treaty will replace the 1991 START that expired on Dec 5 and be in effect for 10 years. It can also be extended for each five years.
Both Russia and the US regard the move as a new step forward in the two countries’ joint efforts on arms reduction and non-proliferation of mass destruction weapons.
According to analysts, the new treaty meets interests and ensure national security of each side.
Meanwhile, the Russian and US government said that they had made concessions to reach the treaty, helping the maintenance of the power balance and strategic stability in the world.
Before the signing ceremony, Obama and Medvedev had a talk on beefing up the bilateral cooperative ties, including issues relating to the US National Missile Defense (NMD) deployed in Europe and situation in the Middle East, Afghanistan , Iran and Kyrgyzstan./.
The new START defines clearly the number of and process of strategic arms the two countries will have to cut down on as well as verification mechanisms of the process.
Under the new pact, the two countries agree to reduce their deployed nuclear warheads to 1,550 each, or 30 percent below the current level of 2,200, and cut the launchers to 700 each.
Once ratified by the US Senate and the Russian Duma, the treaty will replace the 1991 START that expired on Dec 5 and be in effect for 10 years. It can also be extended for each five years.
Both Russia and the US regard the move as a new step forward in the two countries’ joint efforts on arms reduction and non-proliferation of mass destruction weapons.
According to analysts, the new treaty meets interests and ensure national security of each side.
Meanwhile, the Russian and US government said that they had made concessions to reach the treaty, helping the maintenance of the power balance and strategic stability in the world.
Before the signing ceremony, Obama and Medvedev had a talk on beefing up the bilateral cooperative ties, including issues relating to the US National Missile Defense (NMD) deployed in Europe and situation in the Middle East, Afghanistan , Iran and Kyrgyzstan./.
