Putin Praises Nuclear Arms Treaty With U.S.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has praised the New START nuclear arms treaty with the United States in his first remarks on the pact since the U.S. Senate approved it last week.

Putin told reporters that the pact was an "unconditional success" for President [Dmitry] Medvedev in foreign policy."

Speaking at a government meeting, Putin also suggested the treaty would bolster international security and help Russia develop its economy by improving the investment climate.

Signed in April by Medvedev and his U.S. counterpart, Barrack Obama, the pact commits the United States and Russia to reducing their arsenals of deployed strategic nuclear weapons.

compiled from agency reports