The United Kingdom welcomes the new "historic" strategic arms reduction deal between Russia and the U.S., the U.K. foreign secretary said on Friday.
The agreement to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) will be signed on April 8 in Prague.
"Today's historic announcement will help pave the way for further reductions. As soon as it becomes useful to do so, the UK stands ready to include our nuclear arsenal in a future multilateral disarmament process," David Miliband said in a statement.
"As the Prime Minister told President Obama when they spoke earlier this week, the UK welcomes this agreement which is an important further step towards a world free from nuclear weapons," he added.
He urged the global community to "seize the opportunity" that the new treaty creates for the forthcoming Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference, to be held in May at the UN headquarters in New York.
"That means continued efforts by all states possessing nuclear weapons to work towards their total elimination. It means concerted action from the international community to tackle countries like North Korea and Iran which seek to develop nuclear weapons in breach of their treaty commitments. And it means the safe expansion of nuclear power," the statement says.
Miliband said his country was "firmly committed" to working towards a nuclear-free world and pledged to "make further reductions wherever possible."
LONDON, March 26 (RIA Novosti)
