John Mroz, president of the EastWest Institute, said on Friday it was time to “seize this (auspicious) moment”, and take dramatic action to reduce weapons of mass destruction, as a major arms reduction treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation is ending and a leadership change in Washington is in sight.

He was speaking at a joint press conference at the UN to launch an initiative designed by the EastWest Institute, an independent international body focussing on security issues to break the logjam in global efforts to control and reduce stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction.