    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [May 31, 1991]
    [Pages 587-588]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 587]]

    Exchange With Reporters on Soviet-United States Relations
    May 31, 1991

        The President. Let's turn so they can all see.
        Q. Is it later yet, sir?
        The President. Yes.
        Q. All right. Well, then, will you tell us about the Primakov
    meeting?
        The President. Yes. That's all I'll tell you about. I'd rather talk
    about swimming and these champions that we have here. I take great pride
    in the accomplishments of my fellow Texans and what they stand for in
    sports the example they've set for the rest of the country--not only in
    competitive sports, but in fitness generally, something that we are
    trying to emphasize. And I might say to you all that the famous Arnold
    Schwarzenegger is doing a first-class job. He's taken this Fitness
    Council thing very seriously and goes all over the country. He's been, I
    think, in 26 of the States now.
        But I do mean it. You all set a wonderful example. Congratulations
    on the competitive side, too.
        Just a word, then, on the Primakov visit. In the first place, it's
    the kind of thing that is extraordinarily helpful to international
    relations and to improved relations between the Soviet Union and the
    United States. This visit comes on the heels of a visit by our experts,
    among them Ed Hewett right here in the White House, to the Soviet Union
    where they were very cordially and courteously received by President
    Gorbachev.
        The emphasis on our delegation was primarily agriculture. And I will
    have an opportunity to get more detail within the next day or two from
    them as to their recommendations and their views. But they come back
    leaning forward, and I think that's good. We want to try to be helpful
    where we can.
        The Primakov visit came at the suggestion of President Gorbachev.
    And what he wanted to do is send this very high-level visit, three
    distinguished individuals to explain to us the reforms that are being
    undertaken in the Soviet Union and their commitment in the future to
    reform. And I was very impressed with Mr. Primakov's presentation. Mr.
    Yavlinsky fleshed it out a little bit on the economic side. And I told
    them what I've told the American people, and that is that we want to be
    helpful, that we will study in detail the presentation they made.
    They've had an opportunity to go into much more detail, incidentally,
    with our experts in State and Treasury; here at the White House, Dr.
    Boskin.
        So, I liked what I heard, and we have some decisions ahead of us,
    and I'm not going to prejudge those decisions. I'm not going to suggest
    that my mind is made up, nor is the administration position yet firmed
    up on a wide array of matters with the Soviets. But I can say this to
    all those interested, not only here but abroad, that this visit by Mr.
    Primakov was extraordinarily helpful, and we talked about almost every
    subject that has been on the front pages over the last few days.
        So, I'll have more to say about this later on when I get a chance to
    visit with our experts and see what they feel in terms of some of the
    detail. In a meeting that lasts 45 minutes you cannot go into the detail
    that's necessary to reach firm conclusions. But I'd have to say
    preliminarily that I view this as a very positive, positive meeting.
        Q. Secretary Baker seemed to think it didn't go far enough.
        The President. Well, I have great respect for Jim Baker's views, and
    I don't know what that means, that predicate that it didn't go far
    enough. I mean, I've talked to him, and he didn't use those words to me.
    I've learned something since I've been in this job, and that is not to
    comment on what somebody says somebody said because you get in trouble
    that way.
        Q. Mr. President, do you think the Soviets--does it appear that
    they're willing to take the severe economic steps and take the pain
    that's going to be needed for the economic reform the United States
    expects?
        The President. I think that they made clear that they were prepared
    to do that, and all I'm saying is we need a little more

    [[Page 588]]

    detail--detail that has, incidentally, been presented to our experts and
    more of which will be presented to our experts in the time that remains.
        So yes, I had the impression that they are undertaking what for them
    is and what the world will see is radical economic reforms. And when
    you've had a totally controlled economy and you try to move to a market
    economy, it's not easy. They need help along the way. But Rita [Rita
    Beamish, Associated Press], I believe the answer to your question is,
    yes, they certainly say they're prepared to do that.
        Q. How about the economic summit, sir? Would you invite Mr.
    Gorbachev to the London summit? Have you made up your mind on that?
        The President. The matter was obviously discussed, and as I say,
    I've got a little homework to do now before I make comments on that,
    definitive comments on that or on grain credits or on MFN. But I'm
    feeling more positive on a wide array of specific questions. And yet,
    that isn't to suggest that there are not some big problems out there.
        Q. What about a Moscow summit in----
        The President. ----inside, and they're roasting out here, these
    swimmers.
        Q. What about a Moscow summit in June? Did Primakov give any
    indication that the Soviets were going to move on CFE and allow this
    summit to take place in June?
        The President. We did not, in this meeting, discuss arms control. So
    that did not come up--CFE, START, or the Moscow summit. Now, maybe
    before they leave we'll have more insight into that. But it did not come
    up in this meeting here, if that's what your question is.
        Q. And Moscow summit in June?
        The President. No, that summit and the arms, they link, as you know.
    And that didn't come up. But what's happening on that is, Jim Baker will
    be dealing with Bessmertnykh in Lisbon on that question. Maybe they
    already met. And Mr. Gorbachev told me on the phone last week that the
    way to handle--that Bessmertnykh would be coming to Lisbon with firm
    proposals and a firm desire to resolve the difficulties on CFE and
    certainly to narrow the remaining differences on START. Thank you all
    very much.

                        Note: The President spoke at 10:50 a.m. in the Rose
                            Garden at the White House. In his remarks, he
                            referred to the NCAA champion University of
                            Texas men's and women's swim teams; Arnold
                            Schwarzenegger, Chairman of the President's
                            Council on Physical Fitness and Sports; Special
                            Envoy Yevgeniy Primakov of the Soviet Union; Ed
                            A. Hewett, Special Assistant to the President
                            for National Security Affairs and Senior
                            Director of Soviet Affairs; Soviet President
                            Mikhail Gorbachev; Grigory Yavlinsky, Director
                            of the Soviet Center for Economic and Political
                            Research; Michael J. Boskin, Chairman of the
                            Council of Economic Advisers; Secretary of State
                            James A. Baker III; and Aleksandr Bessmertnykh,
                            Foreign Minister of the Soviet Union.