MOSCOW. Dec 24 (Interfax-AVN) - The Council of Europe expects that Russia and the United States will sign a new START Treaty before the reviewing conference of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty next year.
The reviewing conference will take place next year and it is essential that the agreement between Russia and the United States is signed before then, Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland said at a Wednesday press conference at the Interfax head office.
This will be an indication of the serious attitude of the two biggest nuclear powers to nonproliferation, he said.
Jagland said he is not disappointed by the course of the current Russian-US talks. On the contrary, he found it reassuring that Russia and the United States are holding serious talks.
He said that it does not matter whether the treaty will be signed on January 3 or February 1, what matters is that it will be signed paving the way to further, deeper arms cuts.