Wednesday, May 5, 2010 3:13 AM EDT
By Peter S. Green | Bloomberg News
NEW YORK -- Russia urged the U.S. to revive a treaty on civilian nuclear cooperation between the two countries that the Bush administration withdrew from Senate consideration after the Russian military invaded Georgia in 2008.
"We do hope this administration will reconsider and eventually return this treaty for ratification in the Senate," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Rybakov said at a news conference at the United Nations in New York.
The treaty, signed in May 2008, would bring the U.S. and Russia together to promote the safe sale of nuclear fuel to countries that want to develop civilian nuclear programs and would aid the collection and reprocessing of spent fuel to prevent it from being used to make atomic weapons.
The treaty was withdrawn by President George W. Bush after the conflict between Russia and Georgia, an American ally. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in September 2008 that "the time is not right for this agreement."
Rybakov's comments on the accord came as the UN hosts almost a month of negotiations on preventing the spread of nuclear arms and encouraging civilian nuclear uses.
U.S. senators are set to take up another U.S.-Russia agreement this year that would cut the nuclear weapon arsenals of the two nations.
Source: http://www.rep-am.com/articles/2010/05/05/news/national/479380.txt
By Peter S. Green | Bloomberg News
NEW YORK -- Russia urged the U.S. to revive a treaty on civilian nuclear cooperation between the two countries that the Bush administration withdrew from Senate consideration after the Russian military invaded Georgia in 2008.
"We do hope this administration will reconsider and eventually return this treaty for ratification in the Senate," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Rybakov said at a news conference at the United Nations in New York.
The treaty, signed in May 2008, would bring the U.S. and Russia together to promote the safe sale of nuclear fuel to countries that want to develop civilian nuclear programs and would aid the collection and reprocessing of spent fuel to prevent it from being used to make atomic weapons.
The treaty was withdrawn by President George W. Bush after the conflict between Russia and Georgia, an American ally. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in September 2008 that "the time is not right for this agreement."
Rybakov's comments on the accord came as the UN hosts almost a month of negotiations on preventing the spread of nuclear arms and encouraging civilian nuclear uses.
U.S. senators are set to take up another U.S.-Russia agreement this year that would cut the nuclear weapon arsenals of the two nations.
Source: http://www.rep-am.com/articles/2010/05/05/news/national/479380.txt
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