AMMAN, Jordan — Jordan’s Queen Noor, a founder of an international initiative to eliminate nuclear weapons, called on the presidents of the United States and Russia to advance the cause at their Monday summit by agreeing to significant cuts in their arsenals.
Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev in April issued a joint statement committing themselves to the goal of a nuclear weapons-free world. The two leaders are to meet Monday in Moscow for talks expected to lead to a framework agreement on new weapons cuts beyond the START-1 treaty that expires this year.
“We’re so heartened that President Obama and President Medvedev have made that commitment,” Noor said in an interview broadcast Sunday on CNN. “We pray they will build on that in the July 6th meeting, commit to deep reductions in their arsenals that will then help us to begin multilateral negotiations with the other nuclear countries that we hope will deter other countries aspiring to become nuclear.”
Noor is one of the founders of Global Zero, which includes current and former senior officials from nuclear powers. The organization last month presented a four-step plan aimed at eliminating nuclear weapons by 2030.