According to Robert Wood, US permanent representative to the Conference on Disarmament, the five-year extension of the treaty “gives a short respite, and it is not a time for complacency”
The extension of the US-Russian Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (START III) is seen by the United States as a beginning, not the end, of the engagement on strategic issues. Robert Wood, the US permanent representative to the Conference on Disarmament, said in Geneva on Thursday. The text of his statement was disseminated by the United States Permanent Mission.
“President [US President Joe] Biden sees the extension of the START as the beginning, not the end, of our engagement on strategic issues, including this body [the Conference on Disarmament]”, – Wood said. He said the five-year treaty extension “provides a short respite, and it’s not a time for complacency.”
As the US diplomat noted, “there is an urgent need” for continued verification to cover “more weapons and ultimately more countries”. To that end, the United States “will engage with Russia in strategic stability discussions” on arms control, including nuclear, as well as on “other emerging strategic stability issues”, he stated.
The United States “will seek to engage China on nuclear arms control and risk reduction”, the post-chairman continued.
“I hope that China will join us in this effort”, – he said, and called on delegations attending the Conference on Disarmament “to continue to encourage China to do so.”
On Wednesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry exchanged notes with the US Embassy on the completion of internal procedures required for the entry into force of the START extension agreement. The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that the extension of this treaty ensured that the pivotal mechanism for maintaining strategic stability, which limits the parties’ nuclear missile arsenals on a strictly parity basis, was preserved and continued to function.