UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called on Russia and the United States to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty as soon as possible, TASS reported.

The Secretary General welcomes the US announcement that it will seek to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treat for another five years, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for the UN chief.

The Secretary General calls on both parties to act promptly to carry out the necessary procedures to extend the treaty before February 5, he added.

The representative of the UN Secretary General added that the five-year term would not only extend the confidence-building mechanism of the two largest nuclear arsenals, but also give them time to work out new arms deals.

Earlier, White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed that the US government was in favor of extending the treaty. The spokesman for the Russian president said on Friday that Russia welcomed the US political will to extend the treaty, but the outcome depended on this proposal’s details which were yet to be discussed.