Rasmussen: Delay to START ratification would damage security (Extra)

Nov 19, 2010, 21:16 GMT

Lisbon - A delay to the ratification of the New START treaty on nuclear disarmament would damage security across Europe, NATO's secretary general said Friday in Lisbon.

The presidents of the United States and Russia signed the landmark deal on April 8 in Prague.

Earlier this month, the Russian Duma's foreign-affairs committee stalled ratification, accusing the US of adding new conditions, while the Republican Party in the United States now says that the treaty should not be considered for ratification until next year.

'The New START treaty will contribute to an improvement of security in Europe and the whole Euro-Atlantic area, and I would strongly regret if ratification is delayed,' Anders Fogh Rasmussen said during a break in a NATO summit.

'A delay in the ratification of the treaty would be damaging to security in Europe, so I strongly encourage all parties involved to do their utmost to ensure an early ratification.'

The summit committed NATO to trying to 'create the conditions' for nuclear disarmament, but stressed that nuclear weapons would remain its 'supreme guarantee of security' as long as other countries are nuclear armed.

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