New START Treaty Extension In 'Highest Interest' Of US, Russia - Ex-Defense Chief Perry

SAN FRANCISCO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th October, 2018) Extending the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) is in the highest interest of both the United States and Russia and it is hard to understand why anyone would not agree, former US Defense Secretary William Perry told Sputnik.

"My own view is that the extension of the New START Treaty is in the highest interests of both of our countries," Perry said on Monday. "To me it's so obvious and so clear that I cannot understand that people are not in favor of doing that. But both of our countries benefit from this. This is a win-win and we both should be promoting that."

Under the New START Treaty, which came into effect in 2011, the United States and Russia agreed to arms reduction objectives, including reducing the number of deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, nuclear armed bombers and nuclear warheads.

The talks on extending the agreement have been delayed over mutual concerns about compliance. In late July, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed that the United States had no position with regard to extending the treaty beyond 2021.

Perry spoke on the sidelines of the Fort Ross Dialogue in San Francisco, California that brought together US and Russian officials, including Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov and California Governor Jerry Brown, experts and businesses.