Russian upper house approves START

Wed, 26 Jan 2011

Moscow - A nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia was approved by the upper house of the Russian parliament on Wednesday, requiring only the signature of President Dmitry Medvedev before it comes into force.

The overwhelming approval in the Federation Council came a day after the Duma, or lower house, gave its approval to the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START).

The treaty binds both sides to cut their numbers of active warheads to 1,550 within seven years, or about 30 per cent from the levels of the 1991 treaty, which expired in December 2009.

Both sides must reduce delivery systems that include long-range missiles, submarine launched missiles and bomber fleets to 700. Once in effect, New START will allow both countries to resume crucial inspections of the other's nuclear fleet and activities.

US and Russian officials spent a year negotiating the pact, which Medvedev and US President Barack Obama signed in April 2010 in the Czech capital of Prague.

The US Senate ratified the accord in December after a strong push from Obama, overcoming opposition from conservative Republicans who worried the deal might limit the development of missile defense.

Like the Senate, the Duma attached a non-binding resolution to the treaty stating that Russia need only adhere to the treaty so long as its safety is not impinged upon by arms control initiatives with the US.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/364289,upper-house-approves-start.html.