Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on Russian Federation –United States commitments to achieve nuclear disarmament and strengthen nuclear non-proliferation

The Secretary-General welcomes the Joint Statement by President Medvedev and President Obama. The Secretary-General believes that their leadership is vital to the process leading to the achievement of a nuclear-weapon-free world. Their agreed commitment to this goal, to fulfilling their disarmament obligations under Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), as well as agreeing to rapidly pursue new and verifiable reductions in their strategic offensive arsenals through the replacement of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) with a new, legally-binding treaty, are significant undertakings.

The Secretary-General is encouraged by their efforts to overcome differences related to the deployment of missile defenses and welcomes their commitment to the further strengthening of the NPT and the international regime for the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. He welcomes their declaration of support for UN Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004) on preventing non-state actors from obtaining WMD-related materials and technologies. The promotion of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, heightened efforts to make nuclear weapons and materials secure, and to combat nuclear terrorism will contribute to addressing important nuclear challenges.

As depository of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban-Treaty (CTBT), the Secretary-General is particularly pleased at the confirmation by President Obama to work for US ratification of the Treaty. He has repeatedly appealed to the members of the Conference on Disarmament to overcome their deadlock and to move to negotiations, including on a treaty banning the production of fissile material. The Presidents' support for such international negotiations on a verifiable treaty is therefore most welcome.