January 21, 1983
This morning I met with our chief negotiators for the strategic and intermediate nuclear arms
control negotiations we are engaged in with the Soviet Union -- Ambassadors Ed Rowny and
Paul Nitze. Vice President Bush, Secretaries Shultz and Weinberger, ACDA [U.S. Arms Control
and Disarmament Agency] Director-designee Ken Adelman, and my national security adviser, Bill
Clark, also joined the discussion.
Since our negotiators will soon return to Geneva for the next round of the negotiations, and since
the Vice President leaves for Europe to review these and other arms control and security matters
with our allies, today's meeting gave us an opportunity to review the status of the negotiations
and to reaffirm our serious purpose for the coming round.
Our proposals for massive reductions in strategic arsenals and for the elimination of an entire class
of nuclear missiles in the intermediate nuclear forces deserve the support of all who seek genuine
arms reductions. The coming round of the negotiations is particularly important, because our
far-reaching proposals combined with our defense modernization programs provide a strong
incentive for reaching agreements on lower levels of forces on an equitable and verifiable
basis.
I am determined to explore every possibility for equitable agreements to reduce the arsenals and
the risks of war and to strengthen the foundation for peace. And I have so instructed our
negotiators. Our entire arms control team supports this vital goal. We have no higher priority, and
we will spare no effort where the peace and security of our nation and of the world are
concerned.