[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[February 1, 1992]
[Pages 177-181]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



The President's News Conference With President Boris Yeltsin of Russia

February 1, 1992
    President Bush. 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.
    I invited President Yeltsin to come to the States for a state visit; 
he accepted. He, in

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turn, asked me to come to the Soviet Union, 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.
    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.
    And Mr. President, the floor is yours. And welcome once again, even 
though you're heading off now down to the Hill to meet some of the 
Members of Congress.
    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.
    We discussed a whole range of issues, as a matter of fact, those 
kinds of issues that have never been exposed and opened 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, 
economic issues having to do with the military condition now, the 
condition of the military.
    And on the initiative of President Bush and Russia also, we talked 
about reduction of strategic and tactical 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 
the so-called brain drain, and a 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.
    Today we are going to sign a statement or declaration on a 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.
    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 so much.
    President Bush. Now I'll be glad to take a few questions before the 
President has to leave.

Nuclear Weapons

    Q. Mr. Bush, Mr. Yeltsin seems to have gone a long way towards 
meeting you halfway on land-based MIRV's. Are you prepared to deal your 
half of the deck on sea-based missiles?
    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 2 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.
    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?
    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 the specifics.
    Q. President Yeltsin, if both sides are now friends, then why not 
call for a total elimination of nuclear weapons?
    President Yeltsin. The thing is that there are still adventurers, 
terrorists, and irre-

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sponsible politicians in some countries of the world against whom we 
have to have a certain arsenal of nuclear weapons for restraining them.
    Q. Have you discussed with the President some sort of overall 
initiative which would defend?
    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.
    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?
    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; 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.

Russian Reforms

    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?
    President Bush. Well, largely, today President Yeltsin had a chance 
to expand on the reforms he has undertaken. His finance expert, Mr. 
Gaydar, 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.
    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.
    We didn't get into too many specifics on that, but I was very 
interested in hearing from him about the reforms in place. And I did, in 
a general sense, say that the United States would like to assist in any 
way possible.
    Q. President Yeltsin, in your opinion, do you consider that you are 
getting sufficient assistance from the United States, economic 
assistance? You heard a lot about it today.
    President Yeltsin. Well, I would somewhat differently approach this 
question. After all, what's important here is not just aid. We were 
looking at the question of support for the reform, cooperation in a lot 
of different areas, a lot of directions, accomplishing a whole series of 
programs in order to be supportive of reform.
    I didn't come here just to stretch out my hand and ask for help, no. 
We're calling for cooperation, cooperation for the whole world. Because 
if the reform in Russia goes under, that means there will be a cold war. 
The cold war is going to turn into a hot war. This is again going to be 
an arms race. Again, this will be the same regime that we have just 
recently rid ourselves. We cannot allow this to happen because in this 
reform the whole world community has to participate, not just the United 
States, and not just some sort of financial help but political support, 
cooperation, and the accomplishment of overall programs by everybody in 
order to help.
    Also, humanitarian aid, we have agreed on this. From February 10th 
there will be a massive assistance on the part of the United States and 
others, and I'm very appreciative to George Bush for this.

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Nuclear Technology

    Q. You said that during the negotiations you were talking about 
nonproliferation of nuclear technology outside of the former Soviet 
Union. Is there a possibility of leaking of this technology?
    President Yeltsin. Yes. First is the moving of tactical weapons out 
of Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Byelorussia onto the territory of Russia. 
All of the tactical weapons have been taken out of Kazakhstan, from 
Byelorussia. We are now finishing up that process. And in the Ukraine we 
will be done on July 1.
    Now, as far as strategic weapons, this is a more difficult question. 
But there will be a transport, first of all, to Russia of those MIRV's 
warheads onto the territory of Russia so that they can be eliminated or 
so they can be turned to fuel for power plants, atomic power plants, and 
peaceful purposes. That's the one direction.
    Secondly, how to take that 2,000 nuclear specialists who were 
working many decades, what to do with them and how to give them jobs. I 
looked at this issue in Moscow and took the decision to help them in a 
social sense, in a big way, to give them material support and radically 
change up to 5,000 rubles per month to give them a pay raise so that 
they would not flee to the West. Secondly, today we agreed on a whole 
series of joint programs where the scientists will be brought in and so 
that they can participate and work. And there was a proposal by 
President Bush to create a center, a research center where they could 
work together fruitfully, and that will attract them.

Negotiation Timetable

    Q. I just wondered, did you all agree on any sort of timetable for 
your arms negotiations, for example, to be coinciding with President 
Yeltsin's visit in the springtime and your visit, I guess, to Moscow 
later in the year?
    President Bush. We agreed that the very next step will be a much 
more detailed discussion of this matter when Secretary Baker goes, in 
but 2 weeks, back to Russia.
    Do you want to add to that, Mr. President, Boris?
    Q. Do you have a goal for finishing these negotiations?
    President Yeltsin. Yes, namely, in 2 weeks this schedule will be 
prepared by Mr. Baker together with our representatives. They'll put it 
together.
    Q. The whole thing will be done in 2 weeks?
    President Bush. No, no, just the beginning of the negotiations----
    President Yeltsin. No, no, no. The schedule will be put together, 
the schedule.

Russian Reforms

    Q. Mr. President, are you convinced that President Yeltsin is 
committed to democratic and economic reform? And do you believe he will 
succeed?
    President Bush. I am convinced that he is totally committed to 
democratic reform. And I'm convinced that the problems he faces are 
enormous, but I am also convinced that he will succeed if he gets the 
proper support from around the world for these worthy objectives. And we 
are pledging him support from the United States, but I think he himself 
recognizes the problems they face are enormous.
    He put into effect economic reforms. Before he did it, he told me. 
But much more important, he told the people of Russia he was going to do 
it. He told them it would not be easy. He told them what he was going to 
have to do in terms of raising prices, which is not a popular thing to 
do. And he's done that.
    And I think it's very hard to predict how this will go. I would 
leave that for him to comment on. But I will say this, that the experts 
that give me advice feel that because of the way in which he handled it 
and the commitment that is so obvious to democratic reform, that it is 
going, in spite of hardship, better than they would have predicted.
    So, there is no question that this President, President Yeltsin, is 
committed to democratic reform. He laid his life on the line on top of a 
tank to make that message loud and clear, and the whole world rejoiced 
in it when they saw his courage. He's applying that same courage, and 
I'm not saying that just because he's standing here, he's applying that 
same courage now to this

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concept of economic reform. One certainly cannot doubt his full 
commitment to this subject.

Commonwealth of Independent States

    Q. Would either of you care to tell us about the personal 
relationship you've developed?
    Q. Is the federation, Commonwealth working the way you wanted it to 
work? And how long is it going to exist?
    President Yeltsin. [Inaudible]
    Q. No, the Commonwealth. How is it working, and how long do you 
think it's going to exist?
    President Yeltsin. Today I explained to Mr. Bush about our 
relationship with the other States within our Commonwealth. Yes, we have 
difficulties, especially in terms of the armed forces issues. We're 
going to be discussing that on 14 February in Minsk, where all the heads 
of the independent States will gather.
    There are difficulties. Nonetheless, after all, for every time we 
meet, and we meet once every month, there is each time a step forward. 
You can't forget that the Commonwealth is only 2 months old. This is 
still a baby in diapers. You've got to take care of it; you've got to 
handle it carefully so you don't drop it. That's why we're trying 
together, all of us, to sit and have a dialog. We have good relations 
with all the heads of states of all these countries; we do. I believe 
that this Commonwealth will be stronger and stronger.
    President Bush. Marlin tells me we've got time but for one more 
question because President Yeltsin has an appointment with the leaders 
from Congress at the Russian Embassy, and so we really do have to go.

Relationship With President Yeltsin

    Q. I'm just wondering if you gentlemen would care to share the 
personal relationship that you've developed. You've worked closely, 
certainly, with Mr. Gorbachev.
    President Bush. Well, it's well-known that I had a very close 
relationship with Mr. Gorbachev. It was built on respect. It became 
friendship. And I can only speak for myself, one half of the equation, 
but the visits that I have had with President Yeltsin before this have 
always been very pleasant. I think that we have a good understanding. I 
have a very warm feeling in my heart about what he has done and is 
trying to do. And I consider him my friend.
    President Yeltsin. I consider that I was very lucky in life, both as 
a political person and just as a man, to have met George Bush. We have 
contacted each other, have been in contact, oh, now about 2 years at 
least. And even in the days when I was in the opposition, we used to 
meet. And then, even then, I already felt his wide-ranging talent, his 
mind, and his qualities as a person. I'm just tremendously impressed by 
his wisdom. I think he has incredible qualities not only as a political 
person but also as a person, as a really great political figure of the 
United States.
    Today our relations have now been formed up as friends, and we talk 
quite frequently to each other. We call each other on the telephone. We 
say ``Boris''; we say ``George.'' And already this says a lot.
    President Bush. That's the last question. I'm awful sorry; Marlin is 
really looking nervous. [Laughter] Thank you very much.

                    Note: The President's 120th news conference began at 
                        1:37 p.m. at Camp David, MD. President Yeltsin 
                        spoke in Russian, and his remarks were 
                        translated by an interpreter.