UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon welcomed on Thursday the U.S. Senate's ratification of a landmark nuclear arms treaty with Russia.
After months of contentious debate in the Senate, the New START treaty between the former Cold war foes was passed by a vote of 71 to 26 on Wednesday.
The ratification is a major foreign policy success for U.S. President Barack Obama, who is eager to "reset" relations with Russia.
"This sends a firm and clear message in support of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation," Ban's spokesperson said in a statement.
The treaty, signed by Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in April, must still pass Russia's rubberstamp parliament, but with the pro-Kremlin United Russia party at the wheel, ratification is all but assured.
"The Secretary General looks forward to the entry into force of the Treaty," the statement said. "He reaffirms his full commitment to working toward achieving nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation."
The new treaty trims the Russian and U.S. nuclear arsenals to a maximum of 1,550 nuclear warheads, down from the current ceiling of 2,200.
UNITED NATIONS, December 23 (RIA Novosti)
