Putin, Chirac Sign Joint Statement on Strategic Stability

Russian President Vladimir Putin ended his Monday talks with visiting French President Jacques Chirac with the signing of a joint agreement on strategic stability.

In the document seen as a main result of Chirac's three-day visit here, the two leaders said it is their key task "to maintain strategic balance in the world under new conditions that took shape after the end of the Cold War."

To fully ensure strategic stability, "in particular, to form a multi-polarity world, we should work to prevent them (the existing security systems) from being replaced by a less binding one, which would trigger new competition," the statement said.

Russia and France expressed satisfaction with their cooperation in dismantling Russian nuclear weapons as well as in disposing Russian weapons-grade plutonium that had been declared no longer necessary for defense purposes.

The statement also mentioned it was necessary to continue destroying chemical weapons, and to fully destroy biological weapons.

The two countries vowed to continue working on preventing the proliferation of ballistic missiles and confirmed the importance of international efforts to prevent an arms race in outer space.

Putin said he confirmed Russia's welcome to the U.S. reciprocal preparedness to reduce strategic offensive weapons during his talks with Chirac.

Russia was ready for further reduction of strategic offensive weapons to 2,500 warheads and even less, but this must be closely linked to the preservation of the 1972 Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty, Putin said.

In this connection, Russia backed France's proposal to convene a number of international forums on the comprehensive system of international security, he added.

Besides the major security issues, the two presidents intended to give a fresh impetus to their political and economic relations, which they agreed had been boosted since their last meeting in October 2000.

Putin said current Russian-French relations were prominently featured with larger involvement of civil society in state affairs. He meanwhile voiced support for setting up a public body to oversee the development of the relations.

Chirac said Russia and France had "a common will for developing trust and strengthening cooperation." Peace was impossible without trust and this should be the background of talks between Russia and France, he added.

As for relations between Russia and the EU, Putin reaffirmed Russia's devotion to the idea of creating a unified Europe from the Atlantic to the Urals.

Putin also spoke of Russia's willingness to develop its energy relationship with Europe, which would not only create new jobs, but also "develop economies on the basis of Russian energy sources. "

The two Presidents also touched a wide range of international issues, such as the Balkan and the Middle East situation.






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