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1994-05-02
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<text>
<title>
Presidents Bush and Yeltsin Meet at Camp David
</title>
<article>
<hdr>
Foreign Policy Bulletin, January-April 1992
The Reorganization of Europe: Presidents Bush and Yeltsin Meet
at Camp David, February 1, 1992 (Press Conference)
</hdr>
<body>
<p> President Bush. Well today, for the first time, an American
President and the democratically elected President of an
independent Russia have met, and we did so not as adversaries
but as friends. This historic meeting is yet another
confirmation of the end of the Cold War and the dawn of a new
era. Russia and the United States are charting a new
relationship. And it's based on trust; it's based on a
commitment to economic and political freedom; it's based on a
strong hope for true partnership. So, we agreed here that we're
going to pull closer together economically and politically.
</p>
<p> I invited President Yeltsin to come to the States for a
state visit; he accepted. He, in turn, asked me to come to the
Soviet Union [Russia], and I accepted. That will be later in the
year. And he will be coming in the first half of the year, the
date to be determined later on.
</p>
<p> We agreed to cooperate in the safe handling of nuclear
weapons, arms reductions, and a wide array of other subjects.
So, from my standpoint and the standpoint of the United States,
our first team here, we felt it was a very good visit. The only
problem was, it was very short. But we'll have a chance to
follow up at the state visit.
</p>
<p> And Mr. President, the floor is yours. And welcome once
again, even though you're heading off now down to the Hill to
see some Members of Congress.
</p>
<p> President Yeltsin. Mr. President Bush, ladies and gentlemen.
I am very grateful to my friend George for the words which he
has just spoken, in terms of our meeting and aimed at Russia
and towards me. I feel that the meeting was exceptionally
positive, necessary, and historic.
</p>
<p> We discussed a whole range of issues, as a matter of fact,
those kinds of issues that have never been exposed and opened
for many, many years and many, many decades; issues of economic
reform in Russia, as well as cooperation and assistance so that
this reform not die on the vine, and issues having to do with
the Commonwealth of Independent Nations [States], economic
issues having to do with the military condition now, the
condition of the military.
</p>
<p> And on the initiative of President Bush and Russia also, we
talked about reduction of strategic and technical arsenals down
to the minimal of, say, two and a half thousand warheads for
either side. And in this issue we will now begin very specific
and concrete negotiations, the issue of arms sales, of
nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, issues of so-called brain
drain, and whole series of others. Now maybe some very specific
and personal issues, but I think having to do with a
relationship which really has a great importance. I'm very
satisfied that today one might say that there has been written
and drawn a new line and crossed out all of the things that have
been associated with the Cold War.
</p>
<p> Today we are going to sign a statement or a declaration on
the new nature or character of the relationship between the
United States of America and Russia. From now on we do not
consider ourselves to be potential enemies as it had been
previously in our military doctrine. This is the historic value
of this meeting.
</p>
<p> And another very important factor in our relationship, right
away today it's already been pointed out, that in the future
there will be full frankness, full openness, full honesty in
our relationship, both of us value very, very much. Thank you
very much.
</p>
<p> President Bush. Now I'll be glad to take a few questions
before the President has to leave.
</p>
<p> Q. Mr. Bush, Mr. Yeltsin seems to have gone a long way
toward meeting you halfway on land-based MIRVs. Are you prepared
to deal your half of the deck on sea-based missiles?
</p>
<p> President Bush. He has gone a long way. We agreed that all
these subjects would be discussed in more detail when Secretary
Baker goes back to Moscow. I think he'll be there within the
next two weeks. We didn't go into any agreements on categories
or numbers, but we decided that we would let the experts talk
about this in much more detail. But we saluted his very broad
proposals.
</p>
<p> Q. We see in the declaration that Russia and the United
States do not regard each other as potential adversaries. Does
it mean you followed Mr. Yeltsin's, President Yeltsin's, example
so that retargeting of American nuclear weapons are not targeted
on Russian targets anymore?
</p>
<p> President Bush. We agreed that all these matters will be
discussed in Moscow. But certainly I agree with his objectives,
and that is to turn former enemies not only into friends but
allies. And it's that, that we're starting down that road, and
I'm quite optimistic about it. We both realize that there is
some negotiation that has to take place in terms of specifics.
</p>
<p> Q. President Yeltsin, if both sides are no friends, then why
not call for a total elimination of nuclear weapons?
</p>
<p> President Yeltsin. The thing is that there are still
adventurers, terrorists, and irresponsible politicians in some
countries of the world against whom we have to have a certain
arsenal of nuclear weapons for restraining them.
</p>
<p> Q. Have you discussed with the President some sort of
overall initiatives which would defend?
</p>
<p> President Yeltsin. Yes, we did discuss this issue of a
global shield, if you would. We consider that it's a very
interesting topic, and George Bush confirmed that, yes, this is
an exceptionally necessary topic. It would be interesting to
utilize these systems on a mutual basis, maybe even with the
participation of some other nuclear-club countries--nuclear
countries. But this requires a very careful, very detailed
study at the level of specialists.
</p>
<p> Q. President Bush, your thoughts on President Yeltsin's
proposal for a global shield. Is this something that--we're
working together on this--is that something that you would
philosophically be inclined towards?
</p>
<p> President Bush. It's something that we talked about at lunch
with Secretary Cheney. As I said, we reached no decision on
these matters. The Soviet Union has a lot of expertise in space,
for example. Perhaps one area of real cooperation can be in
future space adventure; and another could be in this area of
defense. But we reached no conclusion except to say that we felt
it was worth discussing it in much more detail.
</p>
<p> Q. Mr. President, I'm going to ask you a question. This
morning you said that the United States are willing to
participate in the process that is going on in Russia. What
parts of economic assistance were discussed today, I mean
assistance for economic reform, rather?
</p>
<p> President Bush. Well, largely, today President Yeltsin had
a chance to expand on the reforms he has undertaken. His
finance expert, Mr. Gaidar, is meeting right now with our
Secretary of the Treasury, and we agreed that they would talk
about the details of the reform. So, I would leave any substance
to hear from those two.
</p>
<p> But there are many areas where we already are beginning to
work with the Soviet Union, not only in these private
delegations. We feel it would be very important that they be
full members in these international financial organizations. I
pledged the United States' full efforts in support for early
entry into the IMF and into the World Bank. We expanded a little
bit on the programs we already have working. In terms of
additional support for the Soviet Union, financial and food, Jim
Baker had an opportunity to discuss to some degree the
follow-on from the conference that we had, the cooperation
conference that was held in Washington last week.
</p>
<p> We didn't get into too many specifics on that, but I was
very interested in hearing from him