| On the eve of the UN Conference on the Review of the Implementation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, starting on May 3 in New York and held every five years, Russia and the United States called on other countries to follow their example in reducing nuclear missile arsenals and bringing closer the liberation of the world from nuclear weapons . This call was made in the speeches of the permanent representatives of Russia and the United States to the UN, Vitaly Churkin and Susan Rice, at the UN General Assembly meeting held on April 19 on the topic “Disarmament and Security in the World.” The ambassadors recalled the signing of the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) by the presidents of Russia and the United States on April 8 . “We call on all states, without exception, and especially those that have nuclear arsenals, to join the efforts of Russia and the United States and actively contribute to the disarmament process,” Mr. Churkin said. Ms. Rice, in turn, called the Prague agreement “a major milestone in the field of nuclear security and non-proliferation.” It is noteworthy that she came to the meeting room together with her Russian colleague, which she herself called “a sign of noticeably strengthened relations between the United States and Russia.”
Back on April 14, Vitaly Churkin and Susan Rice notified their fellow permanent representatives of their intention to speak before the General Assembly. They did this with a joint note, and UN old-timers will not remember the last time the permanent representatives of Russia and the United States took such a step. Alexey SLOBODIN | |
