 Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States and Mrs. Reagan. Seven years, and today marks a visit that is perhaps more momentous than many which have preceded it, because it represents a coming together not of allies, but of adversaries. In the last seven years, I had the opportunity to welcome the White House of many foreign leaders. Secretary, during your visit here, you will see that the American people believe that the stranger is a friend to whom he has to meet, and that in our people, he is a good friend to whom he has to meet, and that he is a friend to whom he has to meet. In that direction, by signing an historic treaty that will rid the world of an entire class of U.S. and Soviet nuclear weapons. The world is watching, and we've got something to show them. And over the next few days, it is my hope that progress will be made toward achieving another agreement that will lead to the cutting in half of our strategic nuclear arsenals. Well, during the Second World War, the Soviet General later marked the results of his visit to the U.S. and to the U.S. and to the U.S. and to the U.S. and to the U.S. and to the U.S. The Soviet General, after Marshall Chuikov, loved to tell the story of a soldier who caught the bear. He was led to bring the bear with him, to which the soldier replied, I can't, he won't let go. Well, General Secretary Gorbachev, like the soldier in Marshall Chuikov's story, our peoples for too long have been both the masters and the captives of a deadly arms race. This situation is not preordained and not part of some inevitable course of history. Well, General Secretary, like the soldier in Marshall Chuikov's story, our peoples for too long have been both the masters and the captives of a deadly arms race. This situation is not preordained and not part of some historical inevitable course of history. We make history. Changing its direction is within our power. However, such change is not easy and can be... On the table will be not only arms reduction, but also human rights issues about which the American people and their government are deeply committed. These are fundamental issues of political morality that touch on the most basic of human concerns. We discuss regional conflicts. The parties to these conflicts should negotiate solutions that restore the peace and advance the rights and freedom of the peoples involved. We cannot afford to view these as far away brush fires, even small flames risk larger conflagrations and undermine... ...the positive development of relations between our two countries. Mr. General Secretary, I hope that during your short stay here, you will see that we, as peoples of your country, believe that our country should be strong, but we want peace. Do not doubt in our deep aspiration to the world, that only our burning desire to keep our freedom. Dear Mr. Secretary... Dear Mr. President, esteemed Mrs. Reagan, ladies and gentlemen, comrades. Thank you very much, Mr. President, for the cordial welcome and kind words of greeting. To justify the hopes of the Americans and the Soviet people, the peoples of the whole world, to sincerely, in joint efforts, to break the logic of arms race. By working together in good faith. Many things in world development will depend on what we are now making a choice. What does it have? Are we following the cold war of fear and prejudice leading to confrontation? Or is there a healthy meaning behind the actions in the interests of the survival of civilization? We realize that we are divided not only by the oceans, but also by profound historical, ideological, socio-economic, and cultural differences. But the wisdom of politics today lies in not using during the Second World War. And it was in those same days in 1941 that the route of Nazi forces began near Moscow. That is symbolic. Those days marked the beginning of our common path to victory over the forces of evil in a war which we fought as allies. History is thus reminding us both of our opportunities eliminating Soviet and U.S. intermediate and shorter-range nuclear missiles, which are now going to be scrapped, shows that at crucial phases in history our two nations are capable of shouldering their high responsibility. Of course, this will be the first step on the path to the unyielding world, and the construction of which we are talking about. The link with Perestroika, the domestic restructuring of Soviet society. The Soviet people have boldly taken the path of radical reform and development in all spheres, economic, social, political, and intellectual. The decisive prerequisites of these reforms are democratization and equality. They guarantee that we will go far away and that the course we took is not ours. This is the will of our people. In charting these ambitious plans, the Soviet people in 20th century not only as allies in the battle against Nazism, but also as nations that have paved mankind's way to a safe world free from the threat of nuclear annihilation. On behalf of the Soviet people, I declare that we are prepared to go all the way along our part of the road with the sincerity and responsibility that befit a great and peaceful power. Thank you.