Informal Exchange With Reporters on the Soviet-United States
Q.
Mr. President, do you expect to break through on START or Star Wars during
these talks for 3 days?
The President. Helen [Helen Thomas,
United Press International], I'm going to wait for the meetings here and not
offer any -- --
Q.
Well, do you think it is a great step forward to sign this treaty?
The President. Oh, yes, that I believe
very much.
Q.
But would you be totally satisfied with that, or would you like to make
progress?
The President. Well, obviously, we
want to make progress. I think both of us made that clear out there in our
remarks.
Q.
Mr. Secretary, your spokesman said that you are a man of surprises. Have you
brought a surprise for President Reagan concerning the arms negotiations?
The General Secretary. Well, I don't think
that policies are made with surprises. Responsible policies, particularly by
countries such as the
Q.
Mr. Gorbachev -- --
Q.
Well, what are the new --
--
Q. -- -- about
The General Secretary. As the President has
said, you shouldn't rush.
Q.
Mr. President, old friends or old enemies?
The President. Well, I think you can
judge for yourself.
Q.
What are the new words you want to hear?
The General Secretary. Well, I have heard some
new words in the President's welcoming remarks, and I welcome this fact. And of
course, there are political declarations, political statements, and then there
is reality, real policies. And you might have noted that there is a great
similarity in the outlook of things on the world in our remarks today, myself
and the President. So, how to implement what we declared in our speeches? This
is what we are getting to discuss with the President. We have five meetings
planned with the President.
I
think you have gotten quite a lot from me. [Laughter]
Note: The exchange began
at