(VOVWORLD) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday welcomed US President Joe Biden's newly announced intention to extend by five years a bilateral treaty with Russia on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms.
 UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) |
Guterres encourages the United States and Russia to work quickly to complete the necessary procedures for New START's extension before the Feb. 5 expiration and move as soon as possible to negotiations on new arms control measures, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Guterres.
The same day, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) also welcomed US President Joe Biden's intention to extend the treaty.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg underscored the importance of arms control pacts, saying the world should not end up in a situation where there is no agreement. New START is of great significance to all NATO members, he noted, adding that it marks the beginning of renewed efforts to strengthen international arms control.