Public Papers

Exchange With Reporters Following a Meeting With President Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union

1990-06-01

President Bush. We had a very good talk this morning, very good talk.

President Gorbachev. Yes, it was a good talk. The important thing is that we get results. And I think that we will get results, specific results.

Q. -- -- press out here, Soviet press. [Laughter]

President Gorbachev. I hope so.

President Bush. Certainly, there will be on some things. You can put that in the bank.

Q. There are problems; there are complications?

President Bush. We always have complications, but we measure it not by whether the glass is half empty or the glass is half full.

President Gorbachev. I will say this: We have gone two-thirds of the road in our talks. We have had mostly one-on-one discussions with the President. Right now we were discussing the central question of the 50-percent START reductions, and in this the main -- the forces of our delegations participated, and we made a lot of progress. We have also tomorrow. I think we'll negotiate in a good setting. There's a lot of fresh air there, and I think we'll work and think more expansively, and I think that we'll complete our discussions successfully.

I think we can already say that this meeting is going to be an important one. And it can become even more productive and more important. Whether it is just important or very important, that will be decided tomorrow.

Q. [Inaudible]

President Bush. -- -- significant accomplishment if it all works out. It will be viewed by the American people anyway as enormously important. So, I felt positive about that one.

Thank you all.

Q. Thank you. We very much appreciate it.

President Bush. Not at all. See you later.

Note: The exchange began shortly after 1 p.m. in the Rose Garden at the White House. President Gorbachev spoke in Russian, and his remarks were translated by an interpreter. A tape was not available for verification of the content of the exchange.