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U.S.-Russia I: Moscow Treaty Might Enter Into Force in Two Weeks Russia would like to see the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty take effect soon, possibly at a U.S.-Russian summit in St. Petersburg scheduled for the end of this month or at a Group of Eight summit two days later, according to Russian Foreign Minister Georgy Mamedov (see GSN, May 14). Russia’s domestic treaty approval process remains incomplete, however, Mamedov said last week. Before Russia can exchange the instruments of ratification with the United States, Russia’s Federation Council — the upper house of Parliament — must approve it, Mamedov said. While the Moscow Treaty itself lacks verification measures, the United States and Russia have agreed to use the verification system established under START. That treaty, however, expires in 2009, leaving a three-year gap until the Moscow Treaty itself expires. Russia is interested in developing new verification measures to go beyond the START system and has already begun discussions on the issue with U.S. officials, Mamedov said. Mamedov praised the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian Parliament, for voting 294-134 in favor of the treaty’s ratification last week. The debate within the Duma over the treaty’s ratification had become a type of “referendum” on the larger issue of overall U.S.-Russian relations, according to Mamedov. “We consider that as a result of a very frank discussion … the Russian parliamentarians have passed a convincing vote of confidence in the policy being pursued by President Vladimir Putin towards an equal partnership with the U.S.,” Mamedov said. Mamedov also praised a recent visit by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell for helping to improve U.S.-Russian cooperation. Powell met with Putin last week in St. Petersburg. The talks “were successful and have once again borne out that Russian-American relations, despite serious contradictions and difficulties, as in the assessment of the military actions in Iraq, are irrevocably developing along the road of cooperation on key issues,” Mamedov said (see GSN, April 10; Russian Foreign Ministry release, May 19).
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