UK welcomes Congress approval of US Defence Trade Treaty
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
London, Oct 19, IRNA -- Armed Forces Minister Nick Harvey has welcomed the delayed approval by the US Congress of the US-UK Defence Trade Co-operation Treaty last month that allows preparations for the implementation of the 2007 agreement to begin.
“The treaty will help improve interoperability and the support provided to our armed forces. It is a symbol of the close defence relationship between our countries,” Harvey said.
But in a written parliamentary reply published Tuesday, he also cautioned that he envisaged that detailed preparations required to bring the treaty arrangements into force will take “up to twelve months.”
The delay in the US ratifying the treaty, which was ratified by Britain in 2008, has been regularly criticised in the UK. Most recently it was strongly condemned by Defence Secretary Liam Fox.
One of the aims is to improve the efficiency of defence procurement by permitting the US to trade many non-sensitive defence articles with Britain without an export licence.
“By simplifying export licensing arrangements for government end use, the treaty will facilitate the more rapid movement of equipment and information between the UK and the US whether purchased off-the-shelf, as part of bilateral project or in support of joint operations,” Harvey said.
The UK also has a Mutual Defence Agreement with the US, originally signed in 1958 and which controversially allows nuclear weapons cooperation between the two countries.
Despite concern that the agreement is in breach of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, it was updated and extended for 10 years in 2004.
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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 30028903
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