Preparations for US-Russia summit - Secretary of State Warren Christopher speech - includes related article - Transcript

Secretary Christopher

Opening statement from a news conference following a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Kozyrev,Washington, DC, March 24, 1993

Foreign Minister Kozyrev and I have just completed our pre-summit meetings here today. Foreign Minister Kozyrev had a very good meeting with President Clinton, and, as you know, he met with a number of other officials, both on Capitol Hill as well as in other government departments. I think our meetings established a very good, productive framework for the summit meeting that, of course, will take place on the 3rd and 4th of April in Vancouver between President Clinton and President Yeltsin.

Summit preparations were the principal reason for our getting together, and I think we achieved the result we wanted to on that subject. During the course of our conversations, we reviewed the current political situation in Russia. The Foreign Minister stressed President Yeltsin's determination to break the political impasse there by enabling the people to express their will. The Foreign Minister has given me President Yeltsin's assurance that he would do all he could to protect basic freedoms and civil liberties as Russia proceeds in this very historic transformation.

President Clinton and I assured the Minister of our strong support for the economic and political reforms that have been set forth in this process by President Yeltsin. The success of this most historic effort in Russia is of great importance to the United States and is a reflection of the partnership between the United States and Russia.

In laying the groundwork for the summit and in our discussions over the last 36 hours, we discussed ways to broaden and deepen the US-Russian partnership. And we discussed, of course, a number of problems around the world: in the Middle East, where we are cosponsors, and in the former Yugoslavia, where there are some grave problems. It was very reassuring to be able to engage with the Foreign Minister on such grave problems in the spirit of mutual and common interests. We believe this kind of partnership will serve the interests of our two countries as well as the world as a whole.

I agree with the Minister that this partnership has unlimited potential and [is] one that we are determined to build upon. I've enjoyed my opportunity to deepen my relationship and friendship with the Minister and look forward to seeing him in Vancouver.

Statement released by the White House, Office of the Press Secretary, Washington, DC, March 20, 1993.

The United States supports the historic movement toward democracy and free markets in Russia. Russian President Boris Yeltsin is the leader of that process. As Russia's only democratically elected national leader, he has our support, as does his reform government and all reformers throughout the Russian Federation.

President Yeltsin proposes to break the political impasse in Russia by letting the Russian people decide their future. We were encouraged to hear him say [in his March 20 speech] that civil liberties will be respected.

We also welcome President Yeltsin's assurance of continuity in Russia's foreign policy. We will work to maintain the close relations between our two countries. The President looks forward to his summit meeting with President Yeltsin in Vancouver [Canada] on April 3-4. And we will continue to work in concert with our allies to support those in Russia who wish to further reform.

What matters most is that Russia is and must remain a democratic country moving toward a market economy. That is the basis for a continued US-Russian partnership and for a better and more prosperous future for the Russian people. [3

COPYRIGHT 1993 U.S. Government Printing Office
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