Russia's State Duma Ratifies START-II TreatyRussian State Duma in Moscow ratified the 1993 second-phase Russian-US Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty ( START-II) April 14.The vote was 288 in favor with 131 against and four abstentions. Twenty-seven deputies were not present in the 450-seat Duma during the voting. Russian President-elect Vladimir Putin attended the closed-door session, strongly urging deputies to approve the treaty, under which the United States and Russia agree to reduce the number of nuclear warheads from 6,000 to no more than 3,500 by 2007. Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev, Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Ivanov were also present at Friday's debate on the issue. President-elect Vladimir Putin said on Friday in Moscow he was pleased Russia's parliament had ratified the START-2 nuclear weapons reduction treaty and now the arms control ball was firmly in Washington's court. Speaking to reporters after the State Duma lower house voted by a clear majority to back the treaty, Putin said the decision would allow Russia to retain and modernise its nuclear shield and also divert scarce funds to conventional forces. US President Bill Clinton Friday welcomed the approval by the Russia's Duma, or the parliament, of the START II by saying that it has opened the door for further steps on arms reduction for the two countries. In a short statement in Washington, Clinton said that the approval of the treaty by the Duma "builds on decades of cooperation between the United States and Russia to reduce nuclear arms and clearly advances the interests of both countries." US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright welcomed the Russian parliament's ratification Friday of the START II arms reduction treaty as an historic step that would boost international security. |
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