Assistant Secretary Rose Gottemoeller of Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance today said the implementation of the New START Treaty is well underway.
In her statement at the Annual Security Review Conference, Ms. Gottemoeller said the conference in Vienna provides an opportunity for the organization, and governments, to take stock of their current security concerns and discuss how best to address them together.
“By far, the most important arms control success of the past year has been the entry-into-force of the New START Treaty with Russia in February.” -Ms. Gottemoeller
She stated that the Treaty responsibly limits the number of strategic nuclear weapons and launchers that the United States and Russia may deploy. She highlighted that when the Treaty is fully implemented, it will result in the lowest number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads since the 1950s, the first full decade of the nuclear age.
In addition, she said the implementation of the Treaty is well underway. She added they have exchanged data on their strategic nuclear facilities and forces. She pointed out the information forms the foundation of the Treaty’s database, which will be updated by the Parties continuously through a notification process and exchanged anew every six months throughout the life of the Treaty.
According to Ms. Gottemoeller, as of April the Parties began conducting on-site inspections of each other’s Treaty-related facilities.
She underlined that the United States will look forward to pursue further limits on and reductions in nuclear arms in consultation with our NATO Allies.
“When President Obama signed the Treaty, he said “the United States intends to pursue with Russia additional and broader reductions in our strategic and non-strategic nuclear weapons, including non-deployed nuclear weapons.” – Ms. Gottemoeller
She emphasized that as Secretary Clinton highlighted in Paris in early 2010, strengthening and maintaining European security is a top U.S. priority.
