Lugar Urges US-Russian Cooperation on Eliminating Syrian Chemical Arms

The International Herald Tribune highlighted NTI board member Senator Richard Lugar's proposal for the United States and Russia to work together to rid Syria of its chemical weapons.  The article noted: "Mr. Lugar’s proposal comes at a delicate time, with Russia steadfastly resisting entreaties by the United States and other countries to authorize more forceful intervention in Syria."

Lugar's proposal coincides with a trip this week to Moscow to press for an extension of the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, named for Lugar and NTI co-chairman and former senator, Sam Nunn.  The program is credited with deactivating 7,500 nuclear warheads and other cooperative measures to reduce nuclear dangers between the United States and former Soviet states since 1991.

Speaking about Russia and the United States in yesterday's interview with The International Herald Tribune, Lugar said, “The threats might be to both of our countries from elsewhere. That’s what I am suggesting as maybe a new chapter in our cooperative threat reduction — that we think about our abilities really to be helpful to each other, but also the rest of the world.”

Read the full article.