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Russia urges US to promptly prolong New START

The role and importance of the treaty are growing considerably in the current no easy international relations, Russia's top diplomat stressed in his statement on the occasion of the treaty’s tenth anniversary

Russian Foreign Ministry Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

Russian Foreign Ministry

© Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

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MOSCOW, April 8. /TASS/. Russia is urging the United States to make a prompt and positive response to the proposal for prolonging the Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START), the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the occasion of the treaty’s tenth anniversary.

"In accordance with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s initiative an official proposal was made to the American side back in December 2019 for prolonging the New START without any preconditions and for getting down to work on practical issues related with this. We hope for a prompt and positive response from the United States," the Foreign Ministry said.

The role and importance of the treaty are growing considerably in the current no easy international relations, because "in fact the treaty has remained the sole control and limitation mechanism" regarding Moscow’s and Washington’s strategic weapons, the statement runs.

"We believe that it is necessary to preserve this well-tested mechanism and ensure its proper viability. We are certain that this would meet the interests of Russia, the United States and the entire international community, guarantee the predictability of the situation in the nuclear missile sphere and help maintain strategic stability," the Foreign Ministry stressed.

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