Washington, Dec 24 (DPA) US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Thursday pledged to continue their close cooperation as the two countries were set to implement an "historic" nuclear arms reduction treaty.
In a morning telephone call, Medevedev congratulated Obama on the Senate's ratification Wednesday of the New START Treaty, the White House said in a statement. The Russian Duma could ratify the accord after Jan 10.
"The two leaders agreed that this was an historic event for both countries and for US-Russia relations," the White House said. The two leaders also "pledged to continue their close partnership" in 2011.
New START was signed by Obama and Medvedev in April and binds the two sides to cut their numbers of active warheads to 1,550 within seven years, or by about 30 percent from the 1991 treaty that expired in December 2009.