Informal Exchange With Reporters Prior to a Meeting With Soviet President
Mikhail Gorbachev
Q.
Mr. General Secretary, do you expect an American response to your troop
withdrawal announcement, sir?
President
Gorbachev. I expect we're going to have a substantive meeting.
Q.
Mr. President, what are you going to -- --
Q.
Mr. President, has he taken a propaganda advantage with his major proposal
today?
President
Gorbachev. This is not serious.
Q.
President Gorbachev --
--
Q.
What's not serious?
President
Reagan. I think we have to go into our meeting, and I just want to say that I
am looking forward to and very pleased with this fifth and final meeting
between President Gorbachev and myself. We've accomplished much; there are
other things still to do. And I am also extremely pleased that Vice President
Bush could be here for these meetings. And now I think we'd better go.
Q.
Mr. Vice President, can you tell us what you're going to -- --
President
Gorbachev. Let me add to what the President has just said. If we score any
points, we can do it only together. If we try to score points alone, nothing
good will happen.
Note:
The exchange began at
Informal
Exchange With Reporters on Soviet Military Reductions
in
Q.
So, Mr. President, what do you think of the General Secretary's proposal for
troop draw-down in
President
Reagan. Well, that wasn't a proposal. That was a decision that has been made.
Q.
And what do you think of that decision, sir?
President
Reagan. Naturally, I heartily approve.
Q.
Are you going to do the same thing in
President
Reagan. Well, there are going to continue to be conversations between us on
that matter. But, certainly, I think that we certainly would adjust it if it
would turn out that this left us with a superiority --
and we don't seek such a thing.
Q.
And, Mr. Vice President, your reaction to the decision.
The Vice President. I support what the
President says. [Laughter]
Q.
That's safe. That's mighty safe.
The Vice President. Give me a ring on the
21st. [Laughter]
President
Gorbachev. One of the best answers of the year.
[Laughter]
Note: The exchange began
at