A/RES/48/75 Page 3 missiles, 6/ and the treaties on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms, Noting that there are still significant nuclear arsenals and that the primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament, with the objective of the elimination of nuclear weapons, rests with the nuclear-weapon States, in particular those which possess the largest stockpiles, Welcoming the steps that have already been taken by those States to begin the process of reducing the number of nuclear weapons and removing such weapons from a deployed status, Noting also the new climate of relations between the United States of America and the States of the former Soviet Union, which permits them to intensify their cooperative efforts to ensure the safety, security and environmentally sound destruction of nuclear weapons, Urging the further intensification of such efforts to accelerate the implementation of agreements and unilateral decisions relating to nuclear-arms reduction, Welcoming also the reductions made by other nuclear-weapon States in some of their nuclear-weapon programmes, and encouraging all nuclear-weapon States to consider appropriate measures relating to nuclear disarmament, Affirming that bilateral and multilateral negotiations on nuclear disarmament should facilitate and complement each other, 1. Welcomes the actions taken towards the ratification of the Treaty on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms signed in Moscow on 31 July 1991 by the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America and the protocol to that Treaty signed at Lisbon on 23 May 1992 by the four parties thereto, and urges the parties to take the necessary steps to ensure its entry into force at the earliest possible date; 2. Also welcomes the signing of the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States of America on the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, in Moscow on 3 January 1993, and urges the parties to take the steps necessary to bring that Treaty into force at the earliest possible date; 3. Expresses its satisfaction at the continuing implementation of the treaty between the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America on the elimination of their intermediate-range and shorterrange missiles, 6/ in particular at the completion by the parties of the destruction of all their declared missiles subject to elimination under the treaty; _____________ 6/ The United Nations Disarmament Yearbook, vol. 12: 1987 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.88.IX.2), appendix VII. /...