Start Date: Sunday, April 22, 2001
Last Modified: Tuesday, May 5, 2020
End Date: Friday, December 31, 9999
SECRETARY POWELL: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It was a great pleasure for me this afternoon to welcome a very distinguished world leader, but more importantly an old friend of mine, to the State Department. President Gorbachev, he and I did many things together back when I was National Security Advisor to President Reagan and when I was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. And we reminisced on all that was accomplished during those days, but more importantly we talked about the future, the future of the relationship that exists between the United States and Russia. President Bush and his Administration is committed to a good, strong, thriving and growing relationship with Russia. We have many areas in which we have disagreements. There will always be some areas of agreement and disagreement. But because we both are committed to a better future for our citizens and a better future for the world that Mr. Gorbachev played such a role in helping to shape, we will be working very closely together on security issues, trade issues, many other issues. And I asked him to convey that to his colleagues back in Russia, and I know that President Bush will also convey this message when he sees President Gorbachev later this afternoon. So, my friend, it is a pleasure to have you here at the State Department. MR. GORBACHEV: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I would like to say to you and all our friends that I have no problem in talking to Secretary Powell. We have a relationship that goes back a long way. We have had a relationship, continued the relationship in the past ten years. And the Secretary and I were able to have a good exchange on the issues that he mentioned. I very much value the seriousness of this discussion. It has been very constructive and optimistic. Of course, a lot of work lies ahead, work together. One page recently that has now been turned and with a lot of work ahead of us. Our leaders will be meeting and the Secretary of State and the Foreign Minister will be preparing that meeting. SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you very much.
SECRETARY POWELL: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It was a great pleasure for me this afternoon to welcome a very distinguished world leader, but more importantly an old friend of mine, to the State Department. President Gorbachev, he and I did many things together back when I was National Security Advisor to President Reagan and when I was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. And we reminisced on all that was accomplished during those days, but more importantly we talked about the future, the future of the relationship that exists between the United States and Russia.
President Bush and his Administration is committed to a good, strong, thriving and growing relationship with Russia. We have many areas in which we have disagreements. There will always be some areas of agreement and disagreement. But because we both are committed to a better future for our citizens and a better future for the world that Mr. Gorbachev played such a role in helping to shape, we will be working very closely together on security issues, trade issues, many other issues. And I asked him to convey that to his colleagues back in Russia, and I know that President Bush will also convey this message when he sees President Gorbachev later this afternoon.
So, my friend, it is a pleasure to have you here at the State Department.
MR. GORBACHEV: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I would like to say to you and all our friends that I have no problem in talking to Secretary Powell. We have a relationship that goes back a long way. We have had a relationship, continued the relationship in the past ten years. And the Secretary and I were able to have a good exchange on the issues that he mentioned. I very much value the seriousness of this discussion. It has been very constructive and optimistic.
Of course, a lot of work lies ahead, work together. One page recently that has now been turned and with a lot of work ahead of us. Our leaders will be meeting and the Secretary of State and the Foreign Minister will be preparing that meeting.
SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you very much.
Colin Powell
Remarks with Mikhail Gorbachev Following Their Meeting
Remarks with Mikhail Gorbachev
04/23/01