[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
[May 22, 1991]
[Pages 533-534]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Exchange With Reporters on Soviet-United States Relations
May 22, 1991

    The President. I just wanted to spread good will. No questions, no 
questions.
    Q. Why not?
    The President. Spreading a little--well, because mostly the answers 
are already out there. [Laughter] But I just wanted to say everything is 
fine.
    Q. How did the Moiseyev meeting go, Mr. President?
    The President. As far as I'm concerned, it went very well. We don't 
have all the results yet, obviously, but I talked to our experts, and 
they thought there was some progress out of our meeting. But it's at a 
stage where we need some confidential discussions going on. But I was 
pleased with it.
    Q. Well, can you discuss at all----
    Q. ----this week and on track a summit by----
    The President. I hope so, I hope so. Well, there's two questions, as 
you know: CFE and START. But one thing I came away with was the idea 
that they genuinely want to resolve both these matters, and I really 
felt that.
    Q. Well, is this a political matter or military matter at this 
point? Is the political will there but the military resist----
    The President. No, I think it's an arms control matter. It's an 
interpretation of arms control agreements, and it's highly technical. 
But you know, there's some question as to whether the Soviets had wanted 
a deal or whether we did. And the answer is: we both do. So, I think--
the experts told me after the Moiseyev meeting that they felt there was 
some reason to be optimistic. Now, whether that held true after yet 
further meetings last night----
    Q. Do you think they'll pull those divisions out, make them part of 
the----
    The President. Well, I don't know. I don't know. But it's----
    Q. That's sort of the problem on CFE.
    The President. Well, on the total limits--the full limits, counting 
on the full limits, that everything has got to be accounted for.
    Q. So, you're optimistic about a summit then?
    Q. If that's resolved this week----

[[Page 534]]

    The President. I can't quantify it. I just say the talks went 
reasonably well. But there's some story that we don't want a summit, and 
that's crazy. And I've assured Gorbachev of that personally.
    It's great having you guys back on the plane again. It's wonderful.
    Q. You don't want him in London?
    The President. Who said I don't want him in London?
    Q. Some anonymous official quoted by the New York Times says----
    The President. That story is totally erroneous, I regret to say--
totally.
    Q. What does that mean?
    The President. That means that it's wrong.
    Q. You want him at the economic summit? You'd like him there?
    The President. No decisions have been taken on that. If his coming 
there can help with the reform and genuinely help with the reform, why, 
that would be a very, very important matter. But that story I can 
categorically say is wrong. And there was another one that said the same 
theme--somebody is peddling an erroneous line. We are dealing straight 
with Gorbachev; we're not playing games with him. I think he knows that, 
and I think Moiseyev knows that.
    Q. A June summit?
    The President. It's been a pleasure, gang, it's been a great 
pleasure. Great pleasure to be with you.

                    Note: The exchange took place in the morning aboard 
                        Air Force One while the President was en route 
                        to St. Paul, MN. In his remarks, President Bush 
                        referred to Gen. Mikhail Moiseyev, Chief of the 
                        General Staff of the Soviet Union, and Soviet 
                        President Mikhail Gorbachev.