Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.) and Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) said in a news conference at the Charles Hotel yesterday that the U.S. must increase its commitment to reducing the threat of nuclear weapons in the former Soviet Union.

Nunn, who chairs the Senate Armed Service Committee, said that now is the time to dismantle the supply of nuclear missiles.

"This is a unique and unprecedented moment in history. For the first time in history we have countries who want to get rid of nuclear weapons," Nunn said.

The senators, who established the Nunn-Lugar program to assist in dismantling nuclear weapons, recently returned from an eight-day visit of the former Soviet Union.

In their report, the senators proposed increased U.S. efforts to re- duce the nuclear threat.

"Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Belarus want to be ridof weapons of mass destruction, and Russia wantsto reduce them, but all urgently need ourexpertise and assistance to accomplish this safelyand promptly," said the 10-page report.

Lugar, who is former chair of the SenateForeign Relations Committee, said that dismantlingnuclear weapons is critical to national security.

"It is in our interests that these weapons,targeted against the United States, be eliminatedwithout delay," Lugar said.

Nunn said the threat of nuclear escalation islow, but increasing economic, political, andethnic tension in the regions heighten the risk ofan accident or unauthorized launch.

Increased funding and support for theNunn-Lugar program can accelerate the process ofdismantling nuclear weapons, Nunn said.

"That's what we are trying to do--to movethings along while [the former republics] arewilling to make their commitments," Nunn said