New Russian-US Arms Control Treaty

Head of UN Nuclear Watchdog Welcomes New Russian-US Arms Control Treaty

New York, Apr 8 2010 9:10AM The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog has welcomed the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) signed today by the leaders of Russia and the United States by which they pledged to slash their nuclear arsenals by a third.

“Reducing the role and numbers of nuclear weapons is a positive step towards a safe and peaceful world free of nuclear weapons which can impact positively on nuclear non-proliferation efforts,” said Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the treaty in the Czech capital, Prague, just days after Mr. Obama announced his new policy on restricting the US use of nuclear weapons as an important initiative towards a nuclear-weapon-free world.

Welcoming the disarmament efforts reflected in the 2010 US Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), Mr. Amano added that he is “encouraged by recognition in the NPR of the need to strengthen IAEA safeguards, and the commitment expressed by the United States to expanding financial support for the Agency.”

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced his hope earlier this week that the Nuclear Posture Review and the new Russian-US treaty will help keep the positive momentum in the lead up to the upcoming Nuclear Security Summit, to be held in Washington on 12 April, and the Review Conference of Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT Review Conference), slated for May in New York.

ENDS

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