Russia 'Interested' in Ratification of Nuclear Reduction Treaty: Putin

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, April 06, 2003

Russia 'Interested' in Ratification of Nuclear Reduction Treaty: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday reaffirmed Russia's willingness to ratify a nuclear arms reduction treaty reached with the United States, Interfax news agency reported.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday reaffirmed Russia's willingness to ratify a nuclear arms reduction treaty reached with the United States, Interfax news agency reported.

"Russia is interested in ratification of this document," Putin said during a visit to the Space Forces Headquarters.

"We will work with the Federal Assembly's deputies and I hope we will achieve ratification," the president was quoted as saying.

The president added that "Our position and the US position on Iraq do not coincide, which has created an unfavorable background for further work toward ratification of the treaty."

Russia's ratification of the treaty on reducing strategic offensive weapons was scheduled for late March, but the State Duma,lower house of the parliament, decided earlier this month to delay the procedure to protest the US-led war on Iraq.

In early March, the US Senate ratified the Moscow Treaty, which calls on each side to reduce its deployed nuclear arsenals by two-thirds, from around 6,000 warheads to under 2,200 by 2012.

The United States has pressed Russia to ratify the nuclear disarmament accord in time for Putin and US President George W. Bush to formally seal the pact in May.

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