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Russian Duma To Discuss Ratification of Strategic Potentials Treaty

MOSCOW, January 14 (Itar-Tass) - The State Duma lower house of the Russian parliament is planning to discuss the issue of ratifying the Russian-American treaty on reducing strategic nuclear potentials, a lawmaker said on Tuesday.

House speaker Gennady Seleznyov said the issue will be considered within the framework of a tentative program for the spring session which opens on January 15.

Various factors may influence this process, Seleznyov noted adding that Russian lawmakers are likely to start the ratification after completion of all the necessary procedures in the U.S. Congress.

"Russia is closely watching their U.S. colleagues discussing the document," the speaker noted. He reminded in this connection that the U.S. congressmen never considered the START-II treaty which had been ratified by Russia.

"Last time they cheated us," the speaker said.

Aside from these factors, Russian parliamentarians will certainly take into account the political atmosphere. In his view, "the never-ending blackmailing of Iraq is not conductive for a favorable climate in this issue."

Russia, before signing new treaties, would not like to see a new war in the Persian Gulf; it is necessary that the situation around Iraq be settled peacefully, Seleznyov emphasized.

At the beginning of the spring session, the Duma will hold hearings devoted to the ratification of the strategic offensive potentials treaty. Following the hearings, it will be possible to initiate the procedure of considering this Russian-U.S. agreement, he said.

The strategic offensive potentials treaty was signed in Moscow on May 24 by the Russian and U.S. presidents. Under the document, both countries should reduce the number of nuclear charges to 1,700 to 2,000 by the year 2012. Each country determines the composition and the structure of its strategic nuclear armaments within the established limit.

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