[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 40 (Monday, October 6, 2003)]
[Page 1279]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Joint Statement Between the United States of America and the Russian 
Federation

September 27, 2003

    President George W. Bush and President Vladimir V. Putin held 
productive discussions at Camp David, Maryland, on September 26 and 27, 
2003. Building on the Joint Declaration on the New Strategic 
Relationship of May 24, 2002, and other joint documents, they focused on 
practical ways to broaden and deepen cooperation and partnership between 
the United States and Russia, overcoming obstacles and fulfilling their 
shared vision of a new strategic relationship to deal with the 
challenges and opportunities of the 21st Century.
    The Presidents discussed a broad range of bilateral and 
international issues, including counter-terrorism; preventing 
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; the situations in the 
Middle East, Iraq, Iran, and North Korea; strengthening the NATO-Russia 
relationship; progress in creating conditions to expand economic and 
commercial relations; cooperation in high technology, housing, and 
health; and people-to-people contacts, as well as other questions of 
mutual interest.
    The Presidents agreed on next steps in a number of areas to 
strengthen the existing U.S.-Russia partnership. They issued specific 
instructions to their respective governments identifying tasks to be 
undertaken by the appropriate agencies and specifying timelines for 
doing so, and they underscored their shared intention to monitor 
fulfillment of these tasks. In particular, they identified key areas 
where progress might be made in the near term, including, among other 
issues:
 <bullet>    implementing effectively the Strategic Offensive Reductions 
            Treaty (Treaty of Moscow), and continuing efforts to 
            increase transparency and build confidence on strategic 
            issues;
 <bullet>    building cooperation between the American and Russian 
            military establishments, as critical to joint efforts in 
            areas such as counter-terrorism, missile defense, and 
            peacekeeping;
 <bullet>    strengthening commercial and economic relations through 
            further cooperation in enhancing global energy security, 
            eliminating barriers to trade and investment, promoting 
            high-technology cooperation, and protecting intellectual 
            property rights;
 <bullet>    strengthening consultation and cooperation in dealing with 
            regional problems; and
 <bullet>    deepening cooperation in the battle against HIV/AIDs, which 
            will benefit the United States and Russia, and contribute to 
            the global effort against this modern plague.
    The Presidents agreed to remain in close contact to ensure progress 
across the broad agenda that they have defined.

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