United Nations, April 09: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the historic treaty signed by the US and Russia committing themselves to major nuclear arms cuts and termed it as an “important milestone” in global efforts to advance nuclear disarmament.
“The Secretary-General welcomes the signing of the New START Treaty as an important milestone in the international efforts to advance nuclear disarmament and to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons,” said a statement issued by Ban’s spokesperson Martin Nesirky.
President Barck Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitri Medvedev signed the treaty in Prague to cut down their strategic nuclear arsenals.
The former Cold War foes will be allowed a maximum of 1,550 deployed warheads, about 30 per cent lower than a limit set in 2002. They are also restricted to 700 air-, ground- and submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles that carry warheads.
—Agencies