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For Immediate Release
Contact:

Travis Sharp
202.546.0795 ext. 2105
tsharp@armscontrolcenter.org

Early Talk on Arms Control Signals Strong Potential for Change

WASHINGTON

In the first few weeks in
office, both President Obama and Vice President Biden have made clear
that their administration is committed to securing loose nuclear
weapons, engaging with Iran, and working with Russia to reduce nuclear
arsenals, an expert said today at the Center for Arms Control and
Non-Proliferation.

"Such encouraging statements within the first 100 days of the new
administration send a strong signal that we can expect serious progress
on arms control,"
said John Isaacs, executive director of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

In remarks at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 7, Biden expressed
the administration's desire to make a clean break from the Bush
administration - especially on U.S. relations with Russia and Iran -
with the hope that it may pay dividends on an array of stalled issues.
It was the clearest verbalization yet of the administration's foreign
policy tone now that it has entered office.

The Center's analysis of Biden's remarks can be found online here.

Obama's Feb. 9 press conference also reaffirmed his administration's
commitment to further nuclear reductions and strengthened nuclear
non-proliferation efforts. Read his remarks here.

"During the campaign, Obama talked frequently about his strong
stance on nuclear arms control and what we're hearing now shows us that
this was not just an empty promise,"
said Isaacs. "If this talk turns into action, there is potential for significant headway on nuclear non-proliferation."

Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)3 non-profit, non-partisan research organization dedicated to enhancing international peace and security in the 21st century. The Center is funded by grants from private foundations and the generosity of thousands of individual donors.