START gets initial approval in Russia

Moscow The lower house of the Russian parliament gave preliminary approval Friday to START, a nuclear-arms reduction treaty between Russia and the United States.

The State Duma voted 350-58 in favor of the accord Friday. It needed 225 votes to pass.

Two more readings are required before the treaty can go to the upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, for consideration. The first of those two readings will happen in mid-January.

The U.S. Senate approved the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or New START, by a 71-26 vote on Wednesday, handing President Barack Obama a major victory on one of his top foreign policy priorities.

"This is the most significant arms control agreement in nearly two decades," Obama said. It "will enhance our leadership to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and seek the peace of a world without them."

The treaty is considered a critical component of nuclear non-proliferation efforts and the administration's attempt to "reset" relations between the United States and Russia.

It would resume inspections of each country's nuclear arsenal while limiting both the United States and Russia to 1,550 warheads and 700 launchers.

Obama discussed the treaty with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev during a phone conversation on Thursday.

"President Medvedev congratulated President Obama on the Senate's approval of the new START Treaty, and the two leaders agreed that this was an historic event for both countries and for U.S.-Russia relations," a White House statement said.

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