12-25-2010 09:21 BJT
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Russia's State Duma has given preliminary approval to the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with the United States, but the process is not yet finished. The parliament voted 350-to-58 to approve the new START agreement on Friday, in the first of three required readings.
The Duma has granted preliminary approval to the long-awaited US-Russia arms control treaty, but decided to delay the final vote until next month.
According to the new pact, both countries must reduce their number of strategic missiles twofold, to 800 units, and cut their warhead totals by a third, to 1,550.
But a resolution adopted by the US Senate has aroused Moscow's concerns. The text claims the treaty doesn't apply to new types of non-nuclear strategic weapons that could be developed in the future. It also denies a link between offensive and defensive weapons, but Russia's Foreign Minister says the ordinance is not legally binding.
He said, "There will be no doubts about our resolve to persistently pursue the legitimate interests of the Russian Federation, and promote agreements based on equality, taking into consideration each other's interests, parity and, of course, the respect for international commitments."
Russian lawmakers will not finish their ratification process until next year, as they're now embarking on a 10-day vacation.
Moscow and Washington signed the new START agreement in Prague on April 8th. The US Senate passed the treaty on Wednesday. The pact calls for big cuts in nuclear weapons from both sides, and has been widely viewed as an effort by both countries to "reset" their relationship.
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