Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the Entry into Effect of the Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Strategic Offensive Reductions (Moscow Treaty)

June 1, 2003

On June 1 (Sun), the Presidents of the United States of America and the Russian Federation held a summit meeting in St. Petersburg and exchanged instruments of ratification of the Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Strategic Offensive Reductions (Moscow Treaty), which brought the Treaty into effect. Japan welcomes the entry into effect of the Treaty and hopes that steady implementation of the Treaty by both the U.S.A. and the Russian Federation will lead to further nuclear disarmament.
Since this Treaty guarantees in a legally binding treaty the reduction of the strategic nuclear weapons deployed by the U.S.A. and Russia, Japan highly values the entry into effect of the Treaty as a new step toward nuclear disarmament. Japan also regards the Treaty as symbolizing the efforts of the U.S.A. and Russia to establish a more stable bilateral relationship and a new strategic framework.
Japan strongly expects that the Treaty now effective will promote the international movement toward arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation, as well as improve the international security environments. Japan intends to make realistic and progressive efforts toward these aims.

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