14 May 2001

Transcript: U.S. National Security Council Official in Moscow

(May 11: Stephen Hadley on missile defense consultations)

U.S. officials were in Moscow May 11 for consultations on President Bush's ideas for a new concept of deterrence against ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction.

"This is a first step in a consultation process that will continue over the weeks ahead, including discussions and conversations between our two Presidents," said Stephen Hadley, deputy director of the National Security Council, during a briefing for reporters after the bilateral talks.

Hadley said that during the consultations, the Russian side raised some "serious and important questions" and the U.S. side began to give them some answers to those questions.

Following is a transcript of the briefing:
(begin transcript)

U.S. Department of Defense
Washington

STATEMENT BY STEPHEN HADLEY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL, AT THE RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, MAY 11, 2001

Introduction

This is Mr. Stephen Hadley, Deputy Director, National Security Council. He will make a brief statement and take a couple of questions.

HADLEY: First, let me introduce the other members of our delegation. To my right is Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz. To my left is Avis Bohlen, Assistant Secretary of State. We're here in Moscow to have some consultations about the matters raised in President Bush's speech of last week. We've opened these consultations this morning. We had good, substantive discussions. This is a first step in a consultation process that will continue over the weeks ahead, including discussions and conversations between our two Presidents. And we're looking forward very much to that process. I'd be glad to take a couple or three questions.

CNN: The Russian Foreign Ministry has already said that they walked away from the talks today with more questions than answers, and that the U.S. failed to provide adequate argumentation for dismantling what they called the world's security system, obviously a reference to the ABM [Anti-Ballistic Missile] Treaty. Can you find an answer that satisfies the Russians? Was there progress on that today?

HADLEY: Well, the fact that we're meeting and opening this dialogue between a new Administration and Russian authorities is a sign of progress. We put forward and elaborated some of the points the President made in his speech. The Russian side raised some serious and important questions. We began to give them some answers to those questions. We've done a lot of thinking about this subject. We'll obviously have some more thinking to do, and we'll be able to return to these subjects in the weeks ahead.

Q: Mr. Hadley, how much detail did the Russians spell out of their own plan? And does it look like a viable alternative?

HADLEY: We had a brief discussion about some of the Russian ideas. Obviously the time is short in this first conversation. It's something that the Russian side has elaborated a bit in NATO. And it's something we want to talk about further with them. It's one of the items for future consultations.

Last question.

NBC: We have heard from a lot of Russian politicians that they frankly just don't buy the U.S. argument about this threat from so-called rogue nations. They don't think it exists. How, when there is such a fundamental difference of the U.S. view and Russian view, are you going to be able to bridge that gap?

HADLEY: Well, it's a subject we need to talk about and the Russian side obviously can characterize their views. I think for Americans who lived through the Gulf War and saw the effect of SCUD missiles in that conflict, the threat has a certain reality and urgency that maybe is not shared. But that's one of the things we want to talk about and explain our views and try and see if we can reach a more common perspective on the threat.

Thanks very much.

(end transcript)