US, Russia pledge further nuclear weapons cuts

Washington, July 4 (UNI) The United States and Russia have agreed to pursue further cuts in their strategic nuclear arsenals and to initiate steps to curb weapons proliferation.

The agreement was announced yesterday following two-day talks between President George W Bush and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the Bush family retreat in Kennebunkport, Maine.

The two leaders signaled a new spirit of cooperation on the peaceful use and spread of nuclear energy with a proposal to help the international community generate nuclear power.

The declaration on Nuclear Energy and Non-proliferation Joint Actions, issued by both the leaders, outlines a framework for the global sharing of nuclear expertise and technical assistance.

The joint US-Russian declaration also stressed on working with the international community to expand the safe use of nuclear energy.

According to the declaration, the United States and Russia are prepared to assist in the expansion of safe nuclear energy through a number of initiatives which includes providing more modern and ''proliferation resistant'' nuclear power reactors to foreign nations, helping with financing construction of power plants and assisting in developing the support infrastructure including safety and security programmes.

This also envisages developing solutions to managing spent fuel from the reactors and ''over time'' helping with technology to recycle the used fuel, helping to set up regional electricity grids allowing neighbouring states without nuclear plants to share power and providing nuclear fuel and assuring reliable access to nuclear fuel over the lifetime of the reactor.

Later, briefing newsmen, US Special Envoy for Nuclear Non-proliferation Robert Joseph and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak described the declaration as ''a win-win'' situation that provides a useful framework not only for the safe use of nuclear energy worldwide but also contributes to US-Russian arms reduction talks spurred by the scheduled 2009 expiration of the 1991 START II (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty).

UNI