Eurasia Press & News
WASHINGTON
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said a new strategic arms reduction treaty (START) will be the key issue at the upcoming Russia-US summit in Moscow in July and experts will work in the coming months to provide proposals for the Russian and US Presidents, Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama.
“The priority issue to be discussed at the summit will be the new treaty,” Lavrov said on Thursday in Carnegie Foundation. “We need a new treaty and we are actively working on it,” he added.
The provisions of START-1, which expires later this year, have been fulfilled and overfulfilled, according to Lavrov.
“It is no longer an efficient instrument in the sphere of strategic arms control. Therefore, we see no grounds to prolong the treaty,” Lavrov said.
He hopes common parameters acceptable for both parties may be designed by the end of the year. “Time is running fast,” the minister said, adding experts would work in May and June to provide a report for the presidents on prospects of a new treaty.
“Our position is based on the balance of strategic offensive armaments and strategic defensive armaments,” he said.
Further strategic arms reduction will promote nuclear non-proliferation, according to Lavrov, who called on the United States to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is a key element of modern international security system, Lavrov said, adding “it is no secret that the non-proliferation regime is living through hard times.”
“The fate of the global non-proliferation system greatly depends on the positions of our countries, which are the main nuclear powers,” the minister said adding US ratification of CTBT would be “an extremely important step”.
“It is well known that some key countries do not ratify the document because they follow the US position. Therefore, if Washington ratifies it, there will be something real that can be submitted for exacting consideration of the Non-Aligned Movement in the framework of the upcoming NPT conference next spring,” the minister said.
“Joint US and Russian efforts can promote NPT productiveness and strengthen its three components (non-proliferation, peaceful use of nuclear energy and disarmament),” Lavrov specified.
Russia is ready to assist the United States in reaching mutual understanding with Iran. Lavrov said Iranian nuclear problem can be resolved only by multilateral effort.
Russia “welcomes the message of President Obama to the leader and the people of Iran, which expressed intention to normalize relations”, he said.
Joint effort is also necessary to settle the nuclear problem of North Korea and the situation in Afghanistan.
Both Russia and the United States are interested “in stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan as soon as possible and in securing a lasting peace in the country and in the whole region”, Lavrov said, adding Pakistani assistance in the effort is becoming a very viable factor.
