Medvedev and Obama talk START, Iran
Published: 15 November, 2009, 12:44
Edited: 16 November, 2009, 15:23
TAGS: Meeting, Nuclear, Russia, Ukraine, Politics
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has met his American counterpart Barack Obama on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific forum in Singapore. The two leaders focused on a new nuclear arms reduction agreement and other issues.
After the meeting, Medvedev said that the sides will hopefully sign the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty by December 2009. The old one expires on December 5.
“We have spent a large amount of time discussing the strategic arms cuts treaty and we have agreed that the talks must be given an additional impetus,” Russian president said.
“Certain moments remain, which need to be settled, and some of them are of technical, and others of political nature,” he added.
Obama said, in turn, that the new arms treaty was one of the most important issues discussed with the Russian president.
“Our goal continues to be to complete the negotiations and to be able to sign the deal before the end of the year,” the US president said after the meeting with his Russian counterpart on Sunday, adding, “Both sides are trying to work through some difficult technical issues but are doing so in good faith.”
The presidents have also discussed recent developments around Iran’s nuclear program. Dmitry Medvedev pointed out that the US and Russia can apply “other means” besides talks, if Iran does not provide an answer to its nuclear program.
“If we fail to come to terms, other means remain available for pushing the process on otherwise,” the Russian president said.
The goal of the negotiating process with Iran is to secure clear guarantees from Iran regarding the “transparency of its nuclear program that would not arouse concerns in the world community,” Medvedev added.
Both sides expressed content with the character of Sunday’s talks.
US President Barack Obama said that the “reset” in relations has worked for the countries. Medvedev in turn said that his talks with Obama proceeded in a “comradely atmosphere.”
That went quite in tune with prior expectations from the negotiations expressed by some Russian top officials.
Ahead of talks, Russian presidential aide Sergey Prikhodko said that Russia is pleased with the current dynamics in the countries’ relations.
“We are satisfied at present with the nature of the open, pragmatic and future-oriented dialogue that is developing with the new administration. It allows us to hope for the continuation of the joint progress on issues where solutions have not yet been found,” he added.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also pointed out that both sides are committed to improving bilateral relations.
“We feel the desire of Barack Obama and his team to put into practice the policy orientation he voiced during his election campaign,” he said.
“The two presidents absolutely agree that we should overcome the stagnation in relations between Moscow and Washington that was observed during the Bush administration, when good personal relations did not transform in any way into something really partnership-like,” Lavrov added.
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6 comments
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The "START" NONSENSE is more publicity seeking and political career enhancing than any true desire to make the world safer or to prevent future wars. Both countries have enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world several times over. It is totally irrelevent if they have enough nukes to destroy the world only one time, or enough to destroy the world ten times. Both countries will always hold enough nukes to destroy the world. The two countries do not need a treaty or agreements to unilaterally start reducing the weapons that are in excess. One destruction of the world on each side should be quite enough to keep on hand. Associated START propaganda serves no purpose for either country or the world, but makes slick politicing.
How can Russia really believe that the US is serious concerning reduction of nuclear weapons. The US may persuade Russia to reduce its nuclear capabilities. However US has no intentions of reducing weapons. Russia is making to many concessions and getting nothing in return. In fact US intends to increase weapon capabilities in Europe. Poland is hosting a Patriot surface-to-air missiles, which the United States claimed would be a dummy variety, Poland has stated the missiles will be combat-ready. The US SM-3 mobile missile system, is to be placed in Poland, Czech Republic "may be" in Ukraine, no doubt will also be in Afghanistan as US will remain there for decades, and despite denials at present also in Georgia, (which is also purchasing Missile systems from US arms manufacturer,) and lets not forget Baltic States. Russia is ignoring at its peril these facts and will find itself surrounded in the future. One can not but think of the British prime minister Neville Chamberlains appeasement policy with Germany in 1938
@JWP Your analogy with Neville Chamberlain's "appeasement" is quite interesting here, but not in the way you want us to understand. Actually Chamberlain never appeased Hitler. He maneuvered Hitler into directing the Nazi army against the Soviet Union by not raising a finger against the occupation of Czechoslovakia. Stalin was trying to gain time before a certain German offensive against the Soviet Union with the Molotov-Ribbentrop agreement. Putin proved on more than one occasion that he is a masterful chess player. And he wouldn't have chosen Medvedev as his successor if Medvedev wasn't equal to the job of handling the imperialists.