[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 23 (Monday, June 9, 2003)]
[Pages 708-709]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Joint Statement by President George W. Bush and President Vladimir V. 
Putin on the New Strategic Relationship

June 1, 2003

    On May 24, 2002, we pledged to build a new strategic relationship 
between the United States of America and the Russian Federation. We 
declared our partnership, and our commitment to work together to advance 
stability, security, and prosperity for

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our peoples, and to work jointly to counter global challenges and help 
resolve regional conflicts. We also declared that where we had 
differences, we would work to resolve them in a spirit of mutual 
respect.
    We have met again to reaffirm our Nations' partnership and our 
commitment to meet together the challenges of the 21st century.
    With the completion of the ratification procedures by the United 
States Senate, and the two houses of the Russian Federal Assembly, we 
have been able to exchange instruments of ratification for the Moscow 
Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions. The Treaty takes effect 
immediately. The deep reductions of strategic nuclear warheads that it 
codifies are another indication of the transformed relationship between 
our two countries.
    We will intensify efforts to confront the global threats of 
terrorism, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and 
their means of delivery, that threaten our peoples and freedom-loving 
peoples around the world.
    In this regard, we declare our intention to advance concrete joint 
projects in the area of missile defense which will help deepen relations 
between the United States and Russia.

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