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30 November 2001 |
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Russia on Friday welcomed a U.N. vote supporting the Anti-ballistic Missile treaty and said it was evidence of growing international support in the 29-year-old pact, the focus of a persistent dispute between Russia and the United States. The U.N. General Assembly on Thursday voted 84 - 4 with 61 abstentions in favor of maintaining the 1972 U.S.-Soviet treaty, which governs American and Russian missile defenses. The resolution reflects the sentiment of the 189-member assembly but is not legally binding. (..) "The results of the vote testify to the growing support in the world for this treaty and a striving not to allow its destruction," Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said in a statement. The statement said Russia would continue to aim to "adhere to this unique treaty, which it said helps ensure strategic stability in the world while allowing for cuts in nuclear weapons." (..) "We are inclined to continue consultations with the United States on ABM, but I do not rule out that Washington could unilaterally leave this document," said Yuri Baluyevsky, first deputy head of the Russian General Staff. But he said he had no reason to believe the United States intends to take actions that would violate the treaty in the immediate future. (..) |
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