Duma panel to discuss START-3 ratification bill Wed

MOSCOW, January 12 (Itar-Tass) - The Committee on International
Affairs of the State Duma lower house of the Russian parliament, at its
first meeting in the new year on Wednesday, will consider amendments for
the second reading of the START-3 Treaty ratification bill.
In point of fact, this signifies the introduction of Russian terms and
"provisos" to the new Treaty in reply to the ratification resolution
passed by the US Senate.
House Speaker Boris Gryzlov has told journalists that a ratification
bill is for the first time discussed in the State Duma according to a
three readings procedure. "We have to do this, for the US Congress adopted
certain reservations concerning the text that had been signed by the
Presidents of the Russian Federation and the United States of America," he
pointed out.
Gryzlov said eleven pages of amendments to the Bill had been prepared.
"The ratification bill previously contained one clause about decision 'to
ratify', whereas now another five clauses have been added," he explained.
For his part, Committee Chairman Konstantin Kosachyov concretized that
the additional clauses set out in detail the terms on which the new Treaty
must be ratified, the powers of the leadership of Russia and the Federal
Assembly Houses, and specify exclusive points that could prompt Russia to
withdraw from the new START Treaty, and mention possibilities for the
conduct of further negotiations on other types of armament.
Kosachyov said the Committee would also suggest that the State Duma
when passing the START Treaty ratification bill in the third reading also
consider two accompanying statements -- one of them gives a Russian
interpretation of the "Strategic Stability" notion and reaffirms the
interconnection between START and ABM while the other one constitutes the
parliament's address to the President of the RF on the development of the
strategic nuclear complex.
Gryzlov said the second reading of the ratification bill might be held
on January 14, and the third one on January 25. Earlier the State Duma had
adopted the START-3 Treaty ratification bill in the first reading on
December 24, 2010.
The US Senate approved the Treaty on December 22. However, the
American Congress members accompanied the ratification of the Treaty with
a resolution with a number of reservations. In view of that, the State
Duma decided to examine the new START Treaty in three readings upon
preparing its own amendments to the Treaty.
The START-3 Treaty was signed by the Presidents of Russia and the US
in Prague in April 2010. It stipulates that the sides cut down the
aggregate number of warheads by one-third -- down to1, 550 -- within seven
years, and lower by more than a half the ceiling for strategic delivery
vehicles.