[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
[June 20, 1991]
[Pages 702-704]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks and an Exchange With Reporters Prior to Discussions With 
President Boris Yeltsin of the Republic of Russia
June 20, 1991

    President Bush. Well, I'm very pleased to welcome to the White House 
the newly-elected President of the Russian Republic, Boris Yeltsin. And 
I want to publicly congratulate President Yeltsin on a truly historic 
victory in this election last week which made him the first 
democratically elected leader in the long and rich 1,000-year history of 
Russia. And to put it in American terms, he won by a landslide.
    We will be interested in his views on the critical issues 
confronting the U.S.S.R. and its place in the world: the attempt that 
we're following from afar to forge a new union treaty, this historic 
effort to transform the Soviet economy, the imperative of freedom for 
the Baltic peoples, and of course, continued good relations with the 
United States and the West.
    We have been heartened and encouraged by President Yeltsin's 
commitment to democratic values and free-market principles, and we look 
forward to working with him. But at the same time--I want to be very 
clear about this--the United States will continue to maintain the 
closest possible official relationship with the Soviet Government of 
President Gorbachev. Indeed, in just the few minutes we've had inside, 
President Yeltsin has told me that he and President Gorbachev are in 
very close contact and working cooperatively together to achieve these 
ends.
    He knows that I have great respect for President Gorbachev, as I do 
for him. And we have an excellent relationship, and our ability to work 
together has produced, I think, enormous benefits for both of our

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countries and it served the cause of world peace and stability in the 
world.
    So, let's not forget that it was President Gorbachev's courageous 
policies of glasnost and perestroika that were the pivotal factors 
enabling us to end the cold war and make Europe whole and free. So, in 
this new world in which the United States works with the new Soviet 
Union, we want and intend to have good relations with the Soviet 
Government and certainly the Republic Governments. And certainly, 
obviously, with this dramatic election, that includes Russia, the 
largest of them all.
    We're very pleased to have the good fortune to work with such 
impressive men as President Gorbachev and President Yeltsin. And again, 
sir, welcome to the United States. You've made a tremendous impression 
here already, not simply in the Congress and at the White House but with 
the people along The Mall out here. And that's what democracy is all 
about.
    So, I really am looking forward to exchanging views on these 
questions and any other questions that are on your agenda. Welcome to 
the White House.
    All yours, sir.
    President Yeltsin. I thank you for the warm words addressed to my 
homeland, to Russia, to President Gorbachev, and to me. I thank you for 
receiving me here in the White House and for this invitation to exchange 
views on the present-day situation in Russia, in my country, and also 
about the future which we are eager to build.
    The popular elections for the President of Russia, which was the 
choice of the majority of the people of Russia, was indeed the choice in 
favor of democracy and the profound economic and social reform.
    We are also believers in freedom for the peoples of the Baltic 
countries who should not be chained because one cannot build a union 
with chains.
    I want to assure you, Mr. President, and through you, the people of 
the United States, that all the positive things that have been attained 
and achieved by President Nixon, by you personally, by President 
Gorbachev, in the fields of security and cooperation, in reducing the 
global military confrontation, is a major achievement of us all. And I 
shall seek to develop this achievement together with President 
Gorbachev.
    Indeed, we still have forces back at home which want to go back to 
the times of stagnation. But I can, with all the responsibility, assure 
you that this will not happen. Russia, which accounts for 70 percent of 
the gross national product of the Soviet Union, is firmly and 
irrevocably committed to democracy. And it will not allow any reversion 
of the course of history.
    Once again, Mr. President, I thank you for this invitation, and I 
hope that we shall have a success in our discussions. I thank you.
    Q. Mr. President----
    Q. Mr. President----
    President Bush. We can't take any questions. Maybe--should we each 
take one?
    Q. Earlier today, President Yeltsin said that he thought all Soviet 
foreign aid should be stopped, that charity begins at home. He included 
Cuba in this. I assume you would approve of such remarks.
    President Bush. I'd say the matter of foreign aid is a matter for 
the Soviet Union to determine. They know that we've had differences on 
Cuba, and it wouldn't hurt my feelings a bit if they cut off all foreign 
aid to Cuba, if that's the question.
    President Yeltsin. It is my understanding that this question is also 
addressed to me. I have said that the Supreme Soviet of the Russian 
Federation has enacted a law under which all extenuous systems of all 
countries and all regimes is terminated. All without exception. And I am 
stressing that point. We only have 180 million rubles to disburse for 
Afghanistan. But we have warned the people that as of July 1, assistance 
will be terminated. We shall have to trade with them.
    Afghanistan has tobacco, fruit, and vegetables. And they can trade 
with us, more so that they are very good merchants. We want to maintain 
commercial relations with all the countries, not just give us help and 
assistance, because I do believe that charity begins at home. And in my 
country two out of every five persons live below the poverty line.
    President Bush. May I have the last word? See, I've learned 
something here. If I had had that answer inside before I gave my

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answer, I might have had a more knowledgeable answer.
    So, now we're going to go in and do some work in here. And I learned 
something with great interest here about the laws as already passed in 
the Soviet Union. And I salute them. That's their decision. And it's not 
the United States role to fine-tune how the Soviet Union or Russia or 
anybody else deal with other countries. That's their business. And I'm 
very interested in that answer. And now we're going to go in and learn 
some more.

                    Note: President Bush spoke at 3:23 p.m. in the Rose 
                        Garden at the White House. In his remarks, he 
                        referred to President Mikhail Gorbachev of the 
                        Soviet Union. President Yeltsin spoke in 
                        Russian, and his remarks were translated by an 
                        interpreter.