UN Chief Calls For US-Russian Talks To Preserve INF Treaty, Renew New START

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UN Chief Calls for US-Russian Talks to Preserve INF Treaty, Renew New START

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2019) The United States and Russia should save the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and discuss in a timely manner the renewal of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a press conference on Friday.

"Our position is very clear. We believe it is very important that the treaty on mid-range missiles is preserved," Guterres told reporters. "On the other hand, there is another very important treaty, which is the New START... I think it's very important that Russia and the United States do on-time negotiations that are necessary to make sure that this treaty is renewed."

Earlier this week, Russian and US officials during talks in Geneva failed to make progress on differences over the INF, which Washington said it will withdraw from in early February. On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters the US side did not want to even listen to Moscow's proposals.

Guterres said the UN strongly encourages the parties to address open questions and come to a common interpretation on issues to preserve the treaty. Guterres also warned that the nonrenewal of the New START treaty like this would have two implications.

"First of all, the limitations introduced will disappear but also the mechanisms of monitoring would be put into question," he explained.

"So, it is very important that the architecture of nuclear disarmament that exists be if possible improved and to the extent possible preserved."

The historic INF nuclear treaty, which was signed by the Soviet Union and the United States in 1987 and envisaged the destruction of all cruise or ground-launched ballistic missiles with ranges between 310 and 3,400 miles, faced uncertainty last October when US President Donald Trump announced that Washington would pull out of the agreement because of Russia's alleged violations.

In particular, the United States has repeatedly voiced concern over Russia's 9M729 missile, which, according to Washington, violates the provisions of the nuclear accord. Moscow has refuted US accusations as unsubstantiated, insisting that the missile was tested at a range permitted by the agreement Russia, in turn, has complained that launchers on US defense systems in Europe are capable of firing cruise missiles at ranges that are banned by the treaty.

The New START Treaty entered into force in 2011 and covers a ten-year period with the possibility of a five-year extension. The treaty limits the number of deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, nuclear armed bombers and nuclear warheads. The talks on extending the START Treaty have been delayed over mutual concerns about compliance.