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Russia's President Putin signs nuclear test ban treaty |
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May 29, 2000 MOSCOW, MAY 28 (AP) - President Vladimir Putin has signed the the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the Kremlin press service said Sunday.
The treaty was ratified by the parliament's upper chamber, the Federation Council, on May 17. The State Duma, the lower chamber of parliament, approved the treaty on April 21. Putin signed the document on Saturday, the press service said.
Although Russia has now approved the treaty, it will ban nuclear tests only when the United States and other nations with nuclear capability also approve it. Russia has not conducted a nuclear explosion since 1990.
The U.S. Senate rejected the treaty in 1999 after opponents said it would weaken American security. Other holdouts include China, Egypt, Pakistan, India and North Korea.
Putin, who was elected on March 26, has made arms reductions a key part of his foreign policy and is pushing for cuts in U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals. |