29/03/2010 (Agence Europe) - On 26 March, the EU welcomed the agreement between the United States and Russia on a new bilateral treaty for the reduction of their arsenals of nuclear weapons, an agreement that the two presidents, Barack Obama and Dmitri Medvedev, intend to sign on 8 April in Prague. The new agreement, which is to replace and enlarge the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START-1) since it expired on 5 December provides for the reduction of about one third of the arsenal of long range nuclear weapons of both countries (they both have seven years after ratification to achieve this objective). Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, said this treaty “enhances the security of the contracting parties and of the international community as a whole”. The agreement will also send a “strong positive signal” to the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty Review Conference to be held in New York in May, she said. Commission President José Manuel Barroso welcomed what he called an “historic” agreement. (H.B./transl.jl)