07 March 2003
U.S. Senate Unanimously Approves Moscow Treaty
(Treaty reduces nuclear warheads by two-thirds) (470) By Merle D. Kellerhals, Jr. Washington File Staff Writer Washington -- The U.S. Senate March 6 unanimously approved the Moscow Treaty, which will reduce U.S. and Russian long-range nuclear warheads by two-thirds by the year 2012. The treaty, which is formally known as the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty, requires the two countries to reduce their deployed nuclear arsenals to between 1,700 and 2,200, down from 6,000 warheads for the United States and 5,500 for Russia. The Russian parliament has yet to ratify the treaty, which was signed by Presidents Bush and Vladimir Putin last May in Moscow. "This historic agreement will reduce the nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia to their lowest levels in decades," President Bush said March 7 in a brief statement. "The treaty will benefit both our peoples and contribute to a more secure world. "The Moscow Treaty helps lay to rest the legacies of Cold War competition and suspicion, and marks a fundamentally new era in relations between the United States and Russia. The strategic offensive reductions codified and made binding under international law in this Treaty are essential steps toward achieving greater political, economic, and security cooperation between our two countries." Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar, an Indiana Republican, hailed the 95-0 vote as "truly remarkable," adding that it represents an important step toward a safer world. The new treaty is a three-page document that was quickly worked out by U.S. and Russian negotiators ahead of the May 2002 Bush-Putin summit. Ratification is expected in the Russian state Duma and Federation Council within weeks. No further action is need in the U.S. Congress, because the Constitution vests the Senate sole authority over foreign treaties. Bush said he is hopeful that the Russian Duma and Federation Council will soon give their approval to ratification, "so that President Putin and I can exchange instruments of ratification and the Moscow Treaty can enter into force." "As important as the substance is, it is the form -- the trust between the United States and Russia -- that shines through," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Republican of Tennessee. The Moscow Treaty also calls for the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) to remain in force, expiring in 2009 unless both parties agree to an extension. It also creates a bilateral implementation commission to meet no less than twice each year to discuss "transparency" and other issues that might arise. The new treaty will remain in force until December 31, 2012 when either nation may withdraw upon three months notice. Finally, it requires the treaty to be registered with the United Nations. The full text of the treaty may be viewed on the Web at http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/arms/02052441.htm (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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