Offensive Weapons Cuts Treaty ratification to be priority at State Duma autumn session

The Russian Foreign Ministry believes the issue of Offensive Weapons Cuts Treaty ratification to be "one of the priorities for the Parliament when the parliamentary session resumes in autumn", said an official representative for the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Yakovenko at a press conference.

The Ministry hopes the final decision will be positive, he stated.

"The Parliaments of the two countries are aware that it is vitally important to ratify the Offensive Weapons Cuts Treaty", said Yakovenko in the context of the fact that the document had been put into consideration in the US Senate. "Yet the documents preparation procedures, the work of the legislative bodies and the process of ratification itself in Russia and the USA are different, thus the dates of ratification will hardly coincide," the diplomat pointed. Moreover, the Russian Foreign Ministry doesn't consider it necessary.

In compliance with the Russian legislation, the Treaty and its detailed analysis were passed to the Russian Federal Assembly (the upper chamber of the Russian Parliament) for consideration early in June, Yakovenko recalled. The corresponding Russian departments are currently finishing preparation of the main set of ratification documents, the diplomat pointed and recalled that the work of the Federal Assembly had been adjourned.