As you know, the NPT conference last May in New York set forth the NPT's animating Principles and Objectives for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament. They serve as a rolling report card on the world's efforts to live up to the bargains struck in the NPT and since reaffirmed. It is important to do that not only to assess progress, but because we are in a fundamental debate about how best to pursue disarmament. After reviewing where we stand on the Article VI program of action, I'll return to that basic question. But I'll focus here on the nuclear side.
Progress is dramatic.
United States and former Soviet nuclear arsenals today continue to decline even faster than they grew in years past. Reductions under the first Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty are more than two years ahead of schedule. Both countries are already well under the overall limits that were to have been met by December of 1997, and have cut nuclear delivery vehicles below the limits set for December 1999. The vote was 87 to 4. This should help spur the ratification process in Russia.