The Russian government welcomed the US Senate's passage of a nuclear arms reduction accord Thursday, saying the pact will help usher in a new era of stability and security, dpa reported.
The Russian Duma is expected to ratify the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or New START, on Friday, but had been waiting for an outcome of the contentious debate in the Senate.
"The treaty will not only further Russian and US security, but it will have a positive effect on international security and stability," Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said late Wednesday, according to the Interfax news agency.
The US Senate voted 71-26 to ratify the accord that requires both sides to reduce their deployment of nuclear warheads to 1,550.
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