India welcomes extension of New START Treaty between US & Russia: MEA

On Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs welcomed the extension of the New START Treaty between the United States and Russia. The MEA, in a press release, said that India hopes the extension of the nuclear arms treaty between Washington and Moscow will promote dialogue and cooperation to help address international non-proliferation and disarmament issues. The sole nuclear arms limitation treaty between the United States and Russia has been renewed by five more years. 

Read: Russia's Vladimir Putin Signs Law To Extend Nuclear Arms Treaty With US By Five Years

The United States on Wednesday announced that it is formally extending the New START Treaty until at least February 5, 2026. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the extension of the treaty will make the United States and the world "safer". Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin had signed a federal law to allow the extension of the treaty. 

Read: US Joins Russia In Extending Bilateral Nuclear Arms Treaty For Five Years

A day before signing the extension order, Putin held a telephonic conversation with his US counterpart Joe Biden, where both leaders agreed to extend the treaty. The two leaders discussed how important it is to remain on the agreement in order to ensure the safety and security of their people and the rest of the world. The New START Treaty was set to expire on February 5, 2020. The treaty requires both the United States and Russia to limit their arsenal of deployed nuclear weapons. 

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New START Treaty

The New START Treaty, which is officially known as Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, was initially signed between Russia and the United States in April 2010 in Prague. The treaty establishes limitations of strategic nuclear missile launchers and has provisions concerning "inspection, conversion, and elimination of strategic offensive weapons". Under the treaty, both sides are required to limit their number of deployed nuclear warheads to 1,550, deployed ICBMs and bombers to 700, and deployed and non-deployed ICBM launchers and bombers to 800. 

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(Image Credit: AP)