PRESS STATEMENT BY DIRECTOR OF THE INFORMATION AND PRESS DEPARTMENT, FOREIGN MINISTRY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, A.V. YAKOVENKO
Unofficial translation
Press Statement by Director of the Information and Press Department, Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation, A.V. Yakovenko
Russian-American discussions of START-3 Treaty and ABM Treaty continued in Geneva on January 19-21 pursuant to the joint statement of the Russian and US presidents adopted in Cologne in June 1999.
The two sides exchanged opinions on further cuts of strategic offensive weapons and compliance with the limitations on anti-ballistic missile systems.
The Russian side, in the course of the consultations, again stressed the need to preserve the ABM Treaty as the foundation of strategic stability and a key condition for reducing strategic offensive weapons, as an important factor in the strengthening of the nuclear non-proliferation regime and preventing the spread of missile weapons.
We believe that objectively, progress on reduction and limitation of strategic offensive weapons and in the arms control and non-proliferation field generally is only possible if the parties fully comply with their obligation under the Treaty.
