MOSCOW. Dec 24 (Interfax) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hopes that the text of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty will not be modified during the ratification process by the Russian parliament.
"I hope we won't witness attempts to make amendments in the text of the treaty in the State Duma and I also a greatly hope that the deputies will work out their approach as thoroughly as the U.S. Senate to the treaty that undoubtedly deserves to be ratified unchanged," he said in his final word in the lower house of the parliament during the first reading of the treaty.
Lavrov disagreed with several deputies saying that unlike their U.S. colleagues Russian parliament members are considering the New START without a thorough debate.
The interests of the Russian side are guaranteed in this treaty. "I am sure that that the statement that the Duma is going to adopt and the text of the ratification bill which I hope will be passed after the second reading will also secure our interests considering what happened in the Senate," he added.