Russian Defence Minister: draft Treaty on strategic arms reduction "a fruit of compromise"

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov said that the draft Treaty on the strategic offensive arms is "a fruit of compromise" and "its signing doesn't go against the interests of both the US and Russia." After the meeting with Defence Ministers of the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation organization Ivanov spoke to journalists and he commented on rumours around the draft treaty: whether it is true that Russia and the US made some sacrifices while preparing it. "Like any international treaty this treaty is a fruit of compromise. Neither Russia nor the US gave up anything while signing it," Ivanov said. The Minister noted that this rather small document is legally binding. According to him, this treaty refers to the START-1 Treaty in some provisions. "Signing a new treaty doesn't mean that the process of strategic offensive arms reduction will be halted," the minister said. According to him, both sides share this point of view. The Russian Defence Minister said that the agreed draft project is "pragmatic, realistic and it fully meets the demand of the modern realities."