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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Owens, Missy <Missy.Owens@hq.doe.gov>
Date: Thu, Mar 10, 2011 at 9:56 AM
Subject: FW: REMARKS BY VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER
VLADIMIR PUTIN
To: "missyowens@gmail.com" <missyowens@gmail.com>


*From:* White House Press Office [mailto:noreply@messages.whitehouse.gov]
*Sent:* Thursday, March 10, 2011 9:14 AM
*To:* Owens, Missy
*Subject:* REMARKS BY VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER
VLADIMIR PUTIN


THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Vice President

_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
____

For Immediate Release

March 10, 2011


REMARKS BY VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN

AND RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER VLADIMIR PUTIN


The White House

Moscow, Russia


12:46 P.M. (Local)


PRIME MINISTER PUTIN: (As translated.) Mr. Vice President -- (inaudible) --
there are quite a few things to enjoy in Moscow. And you haven't been here
for quite a while. Since you've been here last time, and over this period
of time, Moscow and Russia has changed a lot, and for the better I might
add.


VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: I would agree.


PRIME MINISTER PUTIN: (As translated.) You might be interested in getting
to know Russia better, visiting other sights and cities. And on top of
that, the relationship between our two countries has been developing quite
well. Last year, the (inaudible) Russia has grown by 29 percent.


Turning -- we have completed several important things, including seeding for
and verification of START III, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. And
the major American companies are doing business in Russia and are doing
well. To name a few, General Electric, Boeing and Chevron -- virtually all
the biggest companies are here.


And it is especially pleasing for us to witness the rise of the presence of
big Russian investments between -- again, we are very pleased and very
thankful to you for the fact that this has been -- (inaudible) -- and very
sensitive areas such as I referred to earlier, use of nuclear energy. And
I'm pleased with the fact that all of it has been passed through the
procedures of the Foreign Investment Commission, and we are grateful for you
for that to happen.


Again, it was very obvious to see the (inaudible) between the U.S. and
Russian people is on the right track.


Currently, we are in the process of negotiating the possibility of the
visa-free exchange between Russia and the countries of the European Union.
The fact of the matter is, the U.S. enjoys this visa-free regime of exchange
with virtually all of those countries in Europe.


This will be an important step in development of the Russia-U.S.
relationship if we work first to introduce this visa-free regime of exchange
between U.S.-Russia rather than European Union and Russia.


VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: Good idea.


PRIME MINISTER PUTIN: (As translated.) Let's look to break all the
outdated stereotypes concerning Russia and the U.S. Thus we have turned
over a very substantial part of our history during this stage and we have
started to have everything new. That would support absolutely before the --
in the relationship between Russia and the U.S.


And with this positive relation on your part, Distinguished Mr. Vice
President, such an important person in the U.S. administration with clout
(inaudible).


VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: Mr. Prime Minister, in case you haven't noticed,
there's a real difference between being President and Vice President. The
very good news is the President and I agree 100 percent on the need to
continue to establish a closer and closer relationship.


That's why the very first foreign policy annunciation our administration
made was when I made the speech in Munich that it was time to push the reset
button and change the atmosphere.


I would view the previous eight years -- did not take advantage of the
opportunities that exist for both our countries. It does not really matter
how -- it's in our self-interest and I hope in the self-interest of Russia
to have our relationship grow.


I've made one observation the last two years, when other countries around
the globe have a problem they either go to Moscow or Washington. They don't
want to go to the other capitals.


We have an opportunity to build on this over the years. Not only on New
START, cooperation in Afghanistan, cooperation on drugs, cooperation in -- a
whole range of other areas -- now is the time to focus on the economy.


You mentioned Boeing; yesterday, I met with a group of American and Russian
CEOs -- conference. A Russian -- the chairman of a Russian organization,
I'll not state it, said that there was reason for American companies to be
here because the markets are here and named some other reasons why it was in
the interest of American companies.


The chairman of Boeing USA in Russia said, I beg to disagree with my
friend. He said the market in China for aircraft is seven times bigger. He
said let me tell you why we're here. Russia has the best engineers in the
world. Russia has intellectual capital. Russia is a great nation. Your
titanium lets the planes fly that you buy.


PRIME MINISTER PUTIN: (As translated.) Allow me to make a point, we have
the largest in the world engineering center here in Moscow.


VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: There's a reason. Mr. Prime Minister, I've been
around a long time. The first time I was here -- the second time I was
here, I was here meeting with President Brezhnev. We were trying to pass
SALT II --


END 12:58 P.M. (Local)


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