    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [May 24, 2002]
    [Pages 878-880]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Joint Statement by President George W. Bush and President Vladimir V.
    Putin on U.S.-Russian People-to-People
    Contacts
    May 24, 2002

        In keeping with the spirit of cooperation between our two countries,
    we affirm the importance of strengthening contacts between our societies
    and citizens. We are confident that direct links between our cities,
    states and regions, businesses, educational, research, and medical
    institutions, and non-governmental organizations increase communication
    and promote understanding and trust between the United States and
    Russia.
        Over the past decade, direct ties between Americans and Russians
    have grown rapidly, and they continue to broaden and deepen, including
    through joint business ventures and trade and economic relationships,
    academic and cultural exchanges, and cooperative efforts aimed at
    protecting the environment and developing new medical technologies and
    cures for the most deadly diseases. Such cooperation now goes beyond
    programs, projects, and agreements financed by our governments; our
    primary role in the future should be to support this trend by removing
    legal, bureaucratic, and other impediments. Recognizing the mutual
    benefits of travel for our private and official visitors, the United
    States and Russia are committed to streamlining visa practices and
    taking additional steps to facilitate travel. To this end, we have
    agreed to reduce substantially visa fees for participants in student and
    school exchanges.
        We note that government-supported partnerships between American and
    Russian institutions are flourishing: they include 94 Russian-American
    sister cities, 8 hospital partnerships, and 37 university partnerships.
    In addition, more than 100 U.S.-Russian community and institutional
    partnerships have been forged between local governments, judges,
    businesses, professional associations, and other non-governmental
    groups.
        We also recognize the strong ties between American and Russian
    regions and cities, especially the Russian Far East and the U.S. West
    Coast. Thanks to existing

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    intergovernmental agreements, Native American and Russian citizens can
    visit their relatives in Alaska and Chukotka visa-free. In an effort to
    stimulate more of these regional ties, we have just begun a new program
    which will use U.S.-Russian partnerships to facilitate cooperation,
    strengthen civil society and media, and improve the business climate in
    the Russian Far East and the Volga Federal District.
        Government-supported exchange programs that send Russians to the
    United States and Americans to Russia have also grown exponentially over
    the past decade. Under these programs, more than 50,000 Russian
    students, scientists, legislators and others have been hosted by
    families and communities in all 50 American states. Last year alone,
    about 1,000 Russian entrepreneurs visited the United States to exchange
    experiences and develop mutually profitable ties with their American
    hosts; these business exchanges are set to increase significantly this
    year. Meanwhile, thousands of American scholars, scientists, business
    people, health care professionals, language teachers, and other experts
    from many walks of life have spent time in virtually every region of
    Russia, working side-by-side with their Russian colleagues.
        We will also continue to support our partnership in the critically
    important area of health care. Our priorities are fighting such
    infectious diseases as tuberculosis, improving maternal and child health
    in order to reduce maternal and child mortality, and combating
    cardiovascular disease. The United States and Russia are committed to
    preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. In three regions in Russia, we are
    currently carrying out health education programs aimed at high-risk
    populations. We are pleased to note that funding will now be provided
    for an HIV/AIDS prevention program in a fourth site--St. Petersburg and
    Leningrad Oblast. In addition, joint programs for the treatment of
    tuberculosis within the framework of the World Health Organization are
    now underway in a number of Russian regions.
        We will promote further expansion of contacts in such areas of
    cooperation as information technology, the natural and social sciences,
    and areas of fundamental research, such as fusion energy and high-energy
    physics.
        A viable and independent media sector is an integral component of
    democracy in both our countries. Accordingly, we initiated the Media
    Entrepreneurship Dialogue in November. This dialogue has brought
    together American and Russian media professionals in a business-to-
    business partnership to exchange experience in resolving problems facing
    the media, including those of ensuring the development of commercially
    viable independent media. We welcome the successful development of this
    dialogue. We also welcome a new partnership starting this year that will
    bring together Moscow State University's journalism school with an
    American school of journalism to develop curricula and materials used
    for training media managers and journalists.
        The availability and use of the Internet in both the United States
    and Russia has increased dramatically in recent years, greatly
    facilitating communication between our two peoples. Both governments
    will do all in their power to create the conditions for information to
    flow freely within and between our two countries.
        Both of our countries are rich in the vast territories they cover
    and in the diversity of their populations. Respecting the spiritual,
    cultural, and ethnic legacies of our nations, we affirm our commitment
    to universal values in the sphere of human rights and religious
    freedoms. We will seek to promote a climate of mutual tolerance and
    respect between different creeds and beliefs. To advance these goals,
    new initiatives are being developed to support Russian and American non-
    governmental organizations.
        Our governments intend to promote further cultural interchange
    between our two

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    countries, including the organization of exchanges between national
    museums, theaters, operas, ballets, orchestras, and individual artists.
    In addition, we will seek to promote activities that will enable
    American and Russian scholars, artists, and ordinary citizens to learn
    more about one another's history, language, and culture. We encourage
    the establishment of new contacts between American and Russian
    organizations such as the agreement between the State Hermitage Museum
    and the S. Guggenheim Foundation.
        Through the centuries, Russia's great poets, novelists, painters,
    composers, and scientists have made brilliant contributions to world
    civilization, and Americans find their own lives enriched by learning
    more about this cultural legacy. Similarly, Russians have shown a great
    interest in learning more about American contributions to the arts and
    sciences. Increased appreciation of each other's cultures will help
    advance relations between our two nations into the future.

    Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of
    this joint statement.