He looked forward working with the U. S. Senate to ratify the just-signed U. S.-Russian Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, President Barack Obama has said.

During a question-and-answer session after he and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the new treaty that will reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles for the two countries, Obama said, "The United States Senate has the obligation of reviewing any treaty and, ultimately, ratifying it. Fortunately there is a strong history of bipartisanship when it comes to the evaluation of international treaties, particularly arms control treaties."

Obama and Medvedev signed the treaty in Prague, Czech Republic, where roughly a year ago, Obama outlined his vision on aggressive nuclear non-proliferation efforts worldwide.

He already has begun meetings with the chairmen of the relevant Senate committees and would "broaden that consultation" now that the treaty has been signed, he further said.

Obama further added, "I'm actually quite confident that Democrats and Republicans in the United States Senate, having reviewed this, will see that the United States has preserved its core national security interests, that it is maintaining a safe and secure and effective nuclear deterrent, but that we are beginning to once again move forward, leaving the Cold War behind, to address new challenges in new ways."

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said, during a media briefing, previous nuclear arms reduction treaties in the 1980s, 1990s and the early 2000s enjoyed vast bipartisan support.

The treaty is "absolutely vital" to U. S. interests, Obama had said in an interview with ABC News.

He had further added, "I will also say to those in the Senate who have questions is that this is absolutely vital for us to deal with the broader issues of nuclear proliferation, that are probably the number one threat that we face in the future." (With Inputs from Agencies)