Asia-Pacific

Russia, US: New arms treaty marks end of 'Cold War'

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-05-14 17:10

MOSCOW - Russia and the United States say their new strategic arms reduction treaty (START) must be ratified as soon as possible and marks the "final end of the 'Cold War,'" local media reported Friday.

"It lays the foundation for qualitatively new bilateral relations in the strategic military field and, in effect, marks the final end of the 'Cold War' period," the US and Russia said in a joint statement issued Thursday in Washington.

US President Barack Obama early Thursday sent the new treaty, which is designed to replace the expired START agreement between the two countries, to the Senate for ratification.

The new treaty stipulates the reduction of warheads to 1,550 on each side over seven years, while the number of delivery vehicles, both deployed and non-deployed, must not exceed 800.

The two countries hope that the new agreement will strengthen the security of both sides, making their relationship more stable, transparent and predictable.

The treaty must be ratified by both houses of the Russian parliament and by the US Senate before it can take effect.

Also Thursday, Obama informed his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev that the treaty had been forwarded for ratification to the Senate. Russia immediately announced it was ready for simultaneous ratification.