Following the decision to renew ties with Russia made at the NATO conference this week, correspondence has resumed in full swing. With the current nuclear worries on the world stage, it is also no surprise that today Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for a new strategic arms pact with the US.

In the wake of talks in Brussels, where the sentiment was one of “resetting” Russian-American relations, Mr. Lavrov has concurred with a suggestion to draw up another legally binding arms agreement made by Secretary Clinton. The Russian Foreign Minister later urged the Obama administration, at a press conference, to reconsider the decision to construct a missile shield next to Russia.

“If a third positioning area in eastern Europe is actually created this would involve risks for the strategic interests of the Russian Federation. We would have to take account of measures to alleviate this risk, [but] at the same time, we would prefer not to move in this direction,” - Sergie Lavrov

The proposed agreement would replace the START-1 (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) which came into effect in July 1991, shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union; the treaty reduced the the number of long-range nuclear missiles and was a negotiation during the Cold War between Russia and the US. The treaty is due to expire in December 2009.

Russian officials feel that the importance of START-1 in maintaining world order necessitates a replacement being drawn up before its expiry, an endeavor in which the Bush administration failed due to differences of opinion. A breakdown in negotiations occurred when Russia motioned to have not only nuclear warheads included in the contract but also “intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and heavy bombers.” as well; The Bush administration found the proposal excessive and felt that a cap on solely warheads was needed.

The need to address Iran diplomatically was stressed again, and there is a worldwide consensus that the Middle-East is a particularly important issue at the moment. Mr. Lavrov, whose experts aided in establishing an Iranian nuclear power station this past year, cited the non-proliferation treaty’s permission to pursue nuclear technology for peaceful energy-related purposes. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made clear on Friday that she fully expected Presidents Obama and Medvedev to have begun formulating the new strategic arms pact before the G20 summit April 2nd, in London.

In talks between Clinton and Lavrov this week, the arms treaty was agreed upon to be of paramount importance; the Russian Foreign Minister expressed his gratitude for the cooperative policies of the Obama administration in combating international issues.

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