US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have hailed the New Start nuclear arms treaty as a “historic event”, the White House says.

In a telephone call on Thursday, Mr Medvedev congratulated Mr Obama on achieving Senate approval of the pact.

Mr Obama in turn said that the two had a “very productive year”.

The US Senate approved the pact, which would reduce nuclear arsenals and allow their inspection, on Wednesday after some Republicans agreed to back it.

In Russia, meanwhile, the Speaker of the State Duma (lower house), Boris Gryzlov, said MPs might approve the pact on Friday, with the upper house, the Federation Council, approving it in next year.

Mr Gryzlov said the Russian parliament would first check that the US Senate’s ratification motion had not changed the text of the agreement.

Read the full story on the BBC’s website

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