04 November 2001
Transcript: Rumsfeld, Ivanov Press Briefing after Meeting with Putin
(Nov. 3: discuss ABM, missile defense, Afghanistan) (1370)
U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Russian Defense Minister
Sergei Ivanov held a brief press conference following their November 3
meeting at the Kremlin with Russian President Vladimir Putin which was
aimed at setting the stage for upcoming meetings between Putin and
President Bush in New York, Washington, D.C., and Crawford, Texas.
Ivanov, speaking through a translator, said the present international
situation warrants increased "cooperation in fighting terrorism and
weapons of mass destruction." In today's meetings, he said, "it was
recognized that we have good prospects, and that we can quite speedily
move ahead in the development of this type of cooperation, which is
immediately related to security. I have the impression that neither
the Russian nor the U.S. side intends to focus on the still existing
-- I would say, differences of evaluation rather than contradictions
-- but would like to work in those spheres where the levels of mutual
understanding and accord are quite close."
Rumsfeld said the availability of weapons of mass destruction "argues
for a great deal of urgency in dealing with the problem of terrorists,
and this is something that both of our nations recognize and share."
The two were asked asked about the Anti-ballistic Missile (ABM)
Treaty, missile defense, strategic offensive weapons cuts, and
U.S.-Russian cooperation on the war against terrorism in Afghanistan.
On the ABM treaty, Rumsfeld would make no predictions about future
U.S. decisions. Ivanov said that "before scrapping one agreement or
another -- although it is the sovereign right of the U.S. to withdraw
from this or that treaty -- we believe that this should be better done
only after something has been created in the ways of replacement."
Following is a DOD transcript of the press conference:
(begin transcript)
United States Department of Defense
NEWS TRANSCRIPT
Presenter: Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld
Saturday, Nov. 3, 2001
SECRETARY RUMSFELD PRESS CONFERENCE WITH RUSSIAN MINISTER OF DEFENSE
(Press conference with Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Ivanov
following meeting with Russian President Putin at the Kremlin.)
Moderator: Questions, please. Novosti.
Q: A question for the U.S. defense secretary: could you say if the
United States intends to withdraw from the ABM Treaty? When? And do
you believe that it is the right time to take such serious steps?
Rumsfeld: That's an issue that the president of the United States has
spoken on a number of times, and he has discussed that with Mr.
President Putin, and -- as have Secretary Powell and the minister of
foreign affairs. And the two ministers of defense have discussed that.
And I suppose that at the moment when presidents like to announce
things they like to announce things, and I'll leave it to the
president of the United States as to when and if he makes a decision
such as that. The president has said the United States wants to move
beyond the ABM Treaty and establish a new framework for the 21st
Century, and we've had a number of good discussions about how we need
to go about doing that.
Moderator: Colleagues, are there any other questions? ORT, please.
Q: A question for the U.S. defense secretary: what is your assessment
of Russia's role in the anti-terrorist operation underway now in
Afghanistan? And what would you like that role to be in the near
future?
Rumsfeld: Well, first let me say that President Bush and the people of
the United States were deeply grateful that President Putin was the
first world leader to call President Bush after the attacks on the
United States in September, and that the United States and the
president of the United States are grateful for the fine cooperation
and close working relationship that we have as two countries with
respect to the effort against terrorism. There's no question but that
the relationship between terrorist networks in this world and the
availability of weapons of mass destruction create a circumstance that
offers a -- that argues for a great deal of urgency in dealing with
the problem of terrorists, and this is something that both of our
nations recognize and share.
Q: Mr. Foreign Minister, could you tell us if the American offer to
reduce its nuclear arsenal has the Russian side rethinking its belief
that a missile defense will only [lead] to an arms buildup?
Ivanov: You've called me foreign minister, but I'm defense minister.
As for the substance of the question, the ABM Treaty is an important
component, but not the only component of strategic stability. We often
hear that the ABM Treaty is hopelessly outdated, that it is a relic of
the Cold War. Partially -- I stress, partially -- I agree. But it's
only the ABM Treaty. All the fundamental Russian -- or Soviet-U.S.
accords are relics of the Cold War, to some extent. The START 1 treaty
is a typical relic, if we follow this logic. The treaty on the
abolition of medium-range missiles, concluded at a time of the
dramatic aggravation of the Cold War between the Warsaw Treaty
Organization and NATO -- it's an absolute relic. If I could offer my
personal opinion, today's NATO also is, in many ways, a relic of the
Cold War.
Russia and the U.S. have a common understanding -- it has been
reaffirmed today -- namely, that we should together look into the
future. But before scrapping one agreement or another -- although it
is the sovereign right of the U.S. to withdraw from this or that
treaty -- we believe that this should be better done only after
something has been created in the ways of replacement. The issue of
offensive strategic weapons undoubtedly is an important issue, and
we've talked about that today. And I think we will continue talk about
it in the future, too, and follow the road of cutting the strategic
offensive weapons with absolutely open and transparent verification.
Since we are no longer adversaries, since we are partners, we should
trust each other. I'm saying this because the verification mechanisms
we have today were founded in the Cold War period.
But with all that, the present international situation and prospects
for its development, from the point of view of security, increasingly
warrant and stress the need for cooperation in fighting terrorism and
weapons of mass destruction. In this sense today's meetings between
Mr. Rumsfeld and myself, and between Mr. Rumsfeld and the president --
it was recognized that we have good prospects, and that we can quite
speedily move ahead in the development of this type of cooperation,
which is immediately related to security. I have the impression that
neither the Russian nor the U.S. side intends to focus on the still
existing -- I would say, differences of evaluation rather than
contradictions -- but would like to work in those spheres where the
levels of mutual understanding and accord are quite close.
Q: Mr. Defense Minister, does Russia plan to increase support for the
war in Afghanistan? And, if so, can you get into specifics?
Ivanov: As regards the degree of Russia's participation in the
anti-terrorist operation that is now being carried out primarily by
the allies, by the United States and its NATO partners, on the
territory of Afghanistan, we were among the first to make our position
known publicly. Today -- or generally -- we see no reason at all to
revise this position. I'm asked by the media virtually every day if
Russian troops will participate in the Afghanistan operation or not. I
say no, day after day, and I want to say that no one of our partners
asks us to take such a step. It is absolutely senseless.
As for improving the qualitative relations in those respects that we
identified, among the first to do so, there are certain reserves, and
today concrete forms of collaboration came under discussion. Since
this concerns in many ways the work of the secret services, you
understand that I cannot comment that, and never will.
Thank you.
(end transcript)
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