Secretary-General Hails Russian Federation-United States Nuclear Arms Accord

 

as Milestone that Will Add Impetus to Review of Non-Proliferation Treaty

 

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s statement on the conclusion of negotiations between the Russian Federation and the United States of America on a successor treaty to the Treaty on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms:

I welcome the conclusion of negotiations between the Russian Federation and the United States of America on a successor agreement to the Treaty on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (START).  It is an important milestone for the international efforts to advance nuclear disarmament and to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.  I congratulate President [Dmitry] Medvedev and President [Barack] Obama on this accomplishment and commend their leadership.

I believe that this achievement will add a significant impetus to the upcoming Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.  I hope that this new treaty can be ratified without delay so as to allow its expeditious implementation.  I further hope that the Russian Federation and the United States will continue their efforts in the pursuit of additional measures to reduce and eliminate all nuclear weapons.  I encourage other nuclear-weapon States to follow suit.

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For information media • not an official record