Russian Foreign Ministry Notes The Necessity Of A "more Active Application" Of The Abm Treaty

According to the report of the RIA Novosti correspondent, the statement of Aleksander Yakovenko, Russian deputy foreign minister, disseminated on Saturday indicated that new and dangerous challenges which the mankind faced already at the beginning of the 21st century demanded "even more active application of the ABM treaty which possessed huge potential for improvement and strengthening". According to him, this open-ended agreement "allows Russia, USA, Belorussia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine together with other countries to successfully draft new agreements to control armaments, non-proliferation and disarmament". Yakovenko stressed that "Russia intended in this activity, including the activity within the framework of agreeing new important perceptions on strategic matters with the USA to maintain careful and responsible attitude towards the ABM treaty". The Russian deputy foreign minister stated that Moscow received with satisfaction the results of the vote on 2 November 2001 in the first committee of the UN General Assembly on the draft resolution on preservation and adherence to the ABM Treaty jointly introduced by Russia, China and Belorussia. The overwhelming majority of the UN member states again demonstrated firm support of this document. Aleksander Yakovenko's statement declared that "Russia's position in regards to the ABM treaty was consistent and based on principles. Over almost 30 years the treaty had been playing the most important role in deterring the arms race, in conducting the process of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. It completely confirmed its viability as a cornerstone of strategic stability and international security, a basis for a complete system of key agreements and treaties on control over armaments".