Russia won't sign arms trade treaty

Russia will not sign the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty that requires governments to ensure their exports will not fuel conflicts, a senior foreign ministry official said yesterday.

"We decided not to join. We weighed all the pros and cons and decided it is not obligatory for us," Mikhail Ulyanov, who heads the foreign ministry's non-proliferation and arms control department, told TASS state news agency.

The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) entered into force in December. So far 130 countries have signed it and 67 have ratified it.

Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the ATT covers international transfers of everything from tanks to combat aircraft to missiles, as well as small arms.