Talks advance on U.S.-British arms treaty

WASHINGTON, June 15 (UPI) -- Negotiations in Washington to craft an arms purchasing treaty between the United States and Britain are nearly complete, the Financial Times reported Friday.

At issue is the U.S. Arms Export Control Act, which requires U.S. companies to obtain an export license for arms and military equipment. In 2000, Washington promised to grant Britain and Australia waivers from the act but efforts have been stymied by congressional concern Britain had not strengthened its laws governing exports to third countries, such as China, the Financial Times said.

Only Canada has a waiver and the United States provides "expedited" approval for weapons export applications from Britain and Australia but the report said each license can still take as long as a month to be issued.

Senate Armed Services committee member Sen. John Warner, R-Va., said whether the result of negotiations is called a treaty or not is irrelevant.

"Despite the name, the document itself would carry a strong message ... that Great Britain is our most trusted ally," Warner told the newspaper. "Whether it be Labor or Tory government, we have got to be side by side on these major national security issues."