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U.S. Department of State

Daily Press Briefing

QUESTION: With the continuing problems of the MIR space station and growing discussion of the United States perhaps backing out of that program or discontinuing its participation, I am just wondering if there is discussion here at the State Department about how that would effect U.S.- Russian relations?

MR. BURNS: We have followed the MIR situation very closely because it is such a dangerous situation for the cosmonauts and astronauts. The first thing we should say is that we wish them well this weekend. They have a very dangerous mission. It is a very important mission.

Secondly, I would say that the current problems on MIR have not affected negatively at all the United States' relationship with Russia. We are together on MIR; we have made a commitment together. When there are problems, we try to overcome them together. Now, we have this very dramatic episode where an American astronaut seeks to help Russian cosmonauts solve some serious technical problems on MIR.

We are also together in one very important respect. We are no longer ever again going to compete in space. We competed in the 1960s and '70s and '80s. It is over. We are now going to join forces not only on MIR, but to build a new international space station with the help of Russia and the United States, with Canada and Japan, with many countries - more than ten countries. This is the future of space exploration. I suspect that the space initiatives will serve to strengthen U.S.-Russian relations and not weaken them. That is a very firm view of our leadership here in the department.

QUESTION: There is no move whatsoever in the Department or anywhere else, as far as you know, to suspend U.S. participation in the MIR program?

MR. BURNS: I am not aware of any such movement, but that would not be a question directly for the State Department. That would be a question for Dan Golden and NASA, which of course runs the American space program and our cooperative efforts with Russia. But I can tell you that Mr. Golden has been a strong proponent of cooperation with Russia.

I can't speak to your question about what we do in the future with MIR. That's really for Mr. Golden and his associates to figure out. We will be supportive of him, obviously. I think the U.S.-Russian space program is one of the great hallmarks of the new era of our relationship.