MOSCOW. May 24 (Interfax-AVN) - Deputy Commander of the Russian Navy Vice-Admiral Mikhail Barskov told Interfax-Military News Agency on Friday that the Russian-U.S. Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions was another step towards strengthening economy and boosting security of the nation.
The treaty was signed in Moscow earlier in the day.
Barskov stressed that reducing production of expensive nuclear armament would have the most favorable effect on Russia's economy, as well as enable allocation of funds to be spent on development of other types of armament assets.
Barskov added, however, that disposal of nuclear wastes will be costly, too. "Yet in any case the expenditures will not be larger than those necessary for producing nuclear assets," he said.
Baskov expressed his hope that Russia's example will be followed by other members of the global community, for reduction of American and Russian nuclear stockpiles is important for security of both nations and the entire world, the admiral stressed.
Taking a question about the impact of the treaty on the Russian Navy, Barskov said that "Russia will retain its nuclear triad of the Navy, Air Force and Strategic Missile Forces even after the signing of the treaty."
As for redistribution of nuclear assets between branches of the Russian armed forces, Barskov said that such issues were to be dealt with by the General Staff.
"Both Russia's and foreign experience testifies most convincingly to the importance of the naval element in development of the nuclear triad," he noted