The new strategic arms reduction treaty marks the official end of the "Cold War" and must be ratified as soon as possible, Russia and the United States have announced in a joint statement.
"The Treaty ushers in the transition to a higher level of cooperation between Russia and the U.S. with respect to disarmament and non-proliferation" the statement said on Thursday. "It lays the foundation for qualitatively new bilateral relations in the strategic military field and, in effect, marks the final end of the "Cold War" period."
The new START treaty, signed on April 8 in Prague, replaced the 1991 pact that expired in December 2009.
The document stipulates that the number of nuclear warheads be reduced to 1,550 on each side over seven years, while the number of delivery vehicles, both deployed and non-deployed, must not exceed 800.
The statement talked of increased security and improved relations between the two powers.
"We believe that the newly agreed reductions in strategic offensive armaments will strengthen the security of both Russia and the U.S. and will make relations between our countries more stable, transparent, and predictable," the statement said.
"The Treaty, therefore, is not only in the interests of our two countries, but of the entire world community. Everyone will win as a result of its implementation."
U.S. President Barack Obama informed his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev earlier on Thursday that the treaty had been forwarded for ratification to the U.S. Senate. The Kremlin immediately confirmed it was ready for simultaneously ratification.
The pact must be ratified by both houses of the Russian parliament and by the U.S. Senate to come into force.
WASHINGTON, May 14 (RIA Novosti)
