The Hindu : International : Scrap treaty, says Russia

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 12, 2007
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International

International

Scrap treaty, says Russia

"Medium range missile pact outdated"

MUNICH (Germany): Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov on Sunday called for the repeal of a 1987 treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union eliminating medium-range missiles, describing it as ``a relic of the Cold War.''

``Today, North Korea, China, India, Pakistan, Iran and Israel all have short-range or intermediate-range missiles,'' Mr. Ivanov told reporters. ``Only two countries do not have the right to have them, the United States and Russia. This cannot go on forever.''

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, or INF, negotiated between Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1987, eliminated an entire class of medium-range missiles that had been based in Europe.

Under its provisions, the U.S. destroyed about 850 of its missiles while the Soviet Union broke up 1,850 rockets with ranges of between 500 km and 5,500 km.

Speaking on the sidelines of a security conference in Munich, Mr. Ivanov said the time had come for the two parties to consider abrogating the INF.

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