Spring Break
Obama, Medvedev agree to pursue nuclear reduction
Ben Feller - The Associated Press
Issue date: 7/1/09 Section: News
Other side agreements meant to sweeten Obama's two days of talks here include revival of a joint commission to try to account for missing service members of both countries dating back to World War II and fresh cooperation on public health issues. The commission was first created by the first President Bush and President Boris Yeltsin in the early 1990s, but the Russians later downgraded their participation. The U.S. hope is that the Russians will open some of their more sensitive archives to U.S. researchers seeking details about missing American servicemen.
Obama needs Russia's help chiefly in pressuring Iran and North Korea to give up their nuclear weapons ambitions, but also in tackling terrorism, global warming and the economy. But with Russia's public wary of America and relations frayed with Moscow's war with Georgia last year and U.S. missile defense plans in Eastern Europe, his desire to reboot relations is a huge test of his diplomatic skills.
"The United States and Russia have more in common than they have differences," Obama said earlier as he and Medvedev first sat down in an ornate Kremlin room.
His host launched the high-stakes summit with similar good will.
"We'll have a full-fledged discussion of our relations between our two countries, closing some of the pages of the past and opening some of the pages of the future," Medvedev said, through a translator.
Yet, the two sides remain stalemated over the U.S. pursuit of a missile-defense system in Europe, pushed hard by Bush and under review by Obama. Both sides hardened their positions ahead of the summit.
The U.S. contends the program is designed to protect U.S. allies in Europe from a potential nuclear attack by Iran. But the Russians see it as a first step toward a system that could weaken their offensive nuclear strike potential.
The summit starts a weeklong trip for Obama that also features G-8 meetings and a visit with the pope in Italy, and a speech in Ghana.
Obama needs Russia's help chiefly in pressuring Iran and North Korea to give up their nuclear weapons ambitions, but also in tackling terrorism, global warming and the economy. But with Russia's public wary of America and relations frayed with Moscow's war with Georgia last year and U.S. missile defense plans in Eastern Europe, his desire to reboot relations is a huge test of his diplomatic skills.
"The United States and Russia have more in common than they have differences," Obama said earlier as he and Medvedev first sat down in an ornate Kremlin room.
His host launched the high-stakes summit with similar good will.
"We'll have a full-fledged discussion of our relations between our two countries, closing some of the pages of the past and opening some of the pages of the future," Medvedev said, through a translator.
Yet, the two sides remain stalemated over the U.S. pursuit of a missile-defense system in Europe, pushed hard by Bush and under review by Obama. Both sides hardened their positions ahead of the summit.
The U.S. contends the program is designed to protect U.S. allies in Europe from a potential nuclear attack by Iran. But the Russians see it as a first step toward a system that could weaken their offensive nuclear strike potential.
The summit starts a weeklong trip for Obama that also features G-8 meetings and a visit with the pope in Italy, and a speech in Ghana.
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