U.S., Russia reducing nuclear stockpiles

ANNAPOLIS, Md., April 22 (UPI) -- Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller says the United States and Russia are working to reduce nuclear weapons "consistent with the president's agenda."

Gottemoeller spoke Thursday at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

She said the United States and Russia have been focused on reducing nuclear weapon stockpiles since President Barack Obama spoke about his vision of a world without nuclear weapons at a conference in Prague two years ago.

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia was signed a year ago and both nations have been working on the Prague agenda, which includes "reducing nuclear arsenals and securing nuclear arsenals," Gottemoeller said.

"Consistent with the president's agenda to reduce the role and number of nuclear weapons and the Senate's call for pursuing negotiations with Russia on tactical nuclear weapons, we are working intensively throughout our government on these issues while also consulting with our NATO allies," Gottemoeller told cadets and staff members at the academy.

When the New START Treaty is fully implemented, it will reduce the number of strategic nuclear warheads deployed by the U.S. and Russia to 1950s levels, Gottemoeller said.

The United States and Russia control more than 90 percent of the world's nuclear weapons, a RIA Novosti report said.