Upbeat ending: Nuclear replacement treaty

US PRESIDENT Barack Obama said yesterday the United States and Russia would have a replacement treaty on reducing nuclear arms ready for approval by year’s end, an announcement designed as an upbeat ending to the summit with Asia-Pacific leaders.

While publicising progress with Russia on arms control – part of Obama’s agenda to advance nuclear disarmament – the president and other leaders bowed to the obvious pressure on climate change. They discussed a compromise agreement for a 192-nation gathering next month in Copenhagen, indirectly admitting that the meeting would not produce a new global treaty to reduce the heat-trapping carbon emissions that are warming the planet.

The summit is part of Obama’s first presidential trip to the region. Its emphasis on big issues like climate change, disarmament and the economic crisis is part of Obama’s approach to persuade new emerging powers like China to share in the burden of managing global challenges.

Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific summit of APEC nations to announce good progress in negotiations on an updated pact to replace the START nuclear arms agreement that expires on December 5.

Obama said the pair discussed a successor to the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and described “excellent progress over the last several months”.