Church body welcomes US-Russian nuclear arms reduction€Ž

|PIC1|World Council of Churches has welcomed the preliminary agreement signed by the United States and Russia to cut back their stockpiles of nuclear weapons as a “a step forward” and said “it will enhance and improve international relations in the 21st Century”.

“It is an encouraging initiative and a step forward on the difficult but essential journey that the world must take to free itself from the spectre of self-destruction," the WCC General Secretary Rev Dr Samuel Kobia said on Tuesday.

The WCC draws members from mainly Protestant and Orthodox Churches, representing about 550 million Christians in more than 120 countries.

US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a preliminary framework agreement Monday to reduce the world's two largest nuclear stockpiles by as much as a third, down to the lowest levels of any US-Russia accord, while exploring options for cooperation on missile defense, according to the Associated Press.

The agreement is meant as a guide for negotiators as the two nations work towards a replacement pact for the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), which expires on December 5.

"Within seven years after this treaty comes into force, and in future, the limits for strategic delivery systems should be within the range of 500-1,100 units and for warheads linked to them within the range of 1,500-1,675 units," the framework agreement says.

Under current treaties, each country is allowed a maximum of 2,200 warheads and 1,600 launch vehicles.

The two leaders also vowed to “re-set” relations between the two countries in various fields which include co-operation in public health, resuming military co-operation, allowing US military to enter Russian airspace, working together in Afghanistan and others.

“Agreement by the two major powers to cooperate in limiting nuclear arms, which will enhance and improve international relations in the 21st Century,” Dr Kobia said.

Leader of 550 million Christians around the world said: “We recognise the commitment of both the US and Russian leaders' joint responsibility for nuclear arms control. We urge them to stand side by side in that shared responsibility and make urgent and unambiguous progress together.”

“In fact, we believe that by doing so they will gradually gain the moral authority needed to encourage other states in eliminating these weapons of mass destruction."

The General Secretary said the move would be widely welcomed among member churches of the World Council of Churches.

He said: "Most live in countries that have long-since committed themselves to a world free of nuclear weapons and have already waited decades for nuclear-weapon states to do the same. Our common prayer is for security that is shared by all."