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State Visit to the United States of America
Chronicle
Washington – Houston – Wako – Crawford – New York
November 13 - 16, 2001
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November 7, 2001
Wednesday
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President Vladimir Putin gave an interview to the ABC TV channel on the eve of his official visit to the US.
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November 10, 2001 23:50
Saturday
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THE KREMLIN, MOSCOW. President Vladimir Putin met with American journalists.
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The Russian President answered questions put to him by chief correspondents of the leading US media accredited in Moscow. The questions covered the entire spectrum of international problems, in particular the situation in Afghanistan and Chechnya, and also Vladimir Putin’s forthcoming visit to the United States and his talks with George Bush. Participants in the meeting included journalists from the Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, Time, NBC, CBS and CNN, The New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Wall Street Journal.
The conversation took place in the Kremlin Library and lasted for about two hours.
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November 13, 2001 23:00
Tuesday
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WASHINGTON, D.C. A Russian-US consultation at the highest level was held in the White House.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President George W. Bush opened their negotiations with restricted attendance, after which the two countries’ delegations were admitted to continue the talks.
Representing Russia were Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, Security Council Secretary Vladimir Rushailo, Presidential Executive Office deputy chiefs Dmitry Medvedev and Sergei Prikhodko, Kremlin strategic stability adviser Igor Sergeyev, Deputy Chief of General Staff Yury Baluyevsky, and chief of the Presidential Economic Directorate Anton Danilov-Danilyan.
Representing the United States were Secretary of State Colin Powell, Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld, White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, and high officers of the National Security Council and the Department of State.
The agenda of the talks revolved round the coordination of the fight against terrorism. The situation in the world and in its problem-laden parts—Central Asia, Iraq, the Arab-Israeli conflict zone and the Balkans—also came under discussion. The presidents also exchanged opinions on topical aspects of Russian-US relations, in particular, strategic offensive and defensive arms reductions.
Mr Putin and Mr Bush made joint statements on the situation in Afghanistan and the Middle East, the fight against bioterrorism and drug trafficking, new Russian-US relations, and economic affairs.
The presidents summarised the talks at a news conference. Mr Bush told journalists that the parties had not yet come to a compromise on the ABM Treaty of 1972. The United States had repeatedly said before that it intended to withdraw from the treaty, which it deemed outdated. Mr Bush said that the changed international situation made bilateral arms control treaties redundant as a matter of principle, and proposed to establish an arrangement under which either party could unilaterally reduce its nuclear arsenals. The United States intended to reduce its strategic nuclear arsenals to 1,700-2,200 weapons within ten years on that basis.
Mr Putin remarked in response that it was too early to determine the fate of the ABM Treaty, and the dialogue was to go on.
The presidents agreed on the peacetime restructuring of Afghanistan. They said at the news conference that they were determined to do everything possible for settlement in Afghanistan and the establishment of its new broad-based government with multi-ethnic representation. Mr Putin said that the Afghan nation was to determine its destiny independently with active United Nations participation.
As he went over to the protection of human rights in Russia, Mr Bush acknowledged that the present situation thoroughly differed from the Soviet Union. He welcomed the Russian leadership’s commitment to political dialogue in Chechnya, and emphasised Russia’s progress with emigration and protection of religious and ethnic minorities, including the Russian Jewish community.
Mr Bush also promised that his administration would ask Congress to exempt Russia from the Jackson-Vanik amendment.
The presidents also referred at the news conference to themes reflected in their joint statements—measures against drugs and bioterrorism, bilateral economic partnership, and Russia-NATO relations.
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November 13, 2001 23:50
Tuesday
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WASHINGTON, D.C. President Vladimir Putin met with US Congress leaders.
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The meeting took place on the central US Congress premises, on top of Capitol Hill.
Mr Putin greeted the American legislators before the meeting, and said he would like to complement his good relations with President Bush with equally warm relations with the Congress.
Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House of Representatives, said that it was a great honour for the House to receive the Russian President in the Capitol, and spoke for all-round development of the bilateral dialogue. Senate Democratic Majority leader Tom Daschle fully agreed with him. The influential Senator thanked Mr Putin for friendly partnership.
150 Congressmen appealed to President Bush the day before for closer ties with Russia. They said in their message that Russian-US contacts were not to be limited to security and anti-missile defence. The authors, who represented both Republicans and Democrats, spoke for closer links with Russia in culture, the economy, energy, the law, science and technology, agriculture, combat against terrorism, and the space effort.
Titled “New Times New Undertakings”, the letter called to assist Russia as it was seeking to join the World Trade Organisation—an initiative for which Mr Putin thanked its authors.
Taking part in the meeting on the host side were Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican and Democratic Congress and Senate majority leaders—Tom Daschle, Trent Lott, Richard Armey and Richard Gephardt, and heads of the principal Congressional and Senate committees.
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November 14, 2001
Wednesday
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President Vladimir Putin attended a restricted attendance CIA briefing in Washington, DC.
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As Andrew Card, the White House Chief of Staff, said later, the briefing was a token of gratitude to the Russian President for his contribution to the counter-terrorist cause.
The Presidents summarised the briefing in an opinion exchange on terrorism, and discussed a wider range of 21st century interests the two countries shared, Mr Card said.
CIA Director George Tenet made a report to the gathering.
National security briefings are usually intended for the US President alone, so Mr Putin’s presence had no precedent.
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November 14, 2001 03:50
Wednesday
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WASHINGTON, DC. President Vladimir Putin met with US political and community activists and businesspeople.
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Mr Putin said he was glad to greet the representatives gathered in the Russian Embassy, and expressed his conviction that Russia and the United States would be not mere partners but friends in their developing relationship. He said that Russia and America had stood side-by-side in the critical years when the sheer existence of both countries was endangered, starting from the reign of Catherine the Great up to the years of World War II.
He said he admired the courage of the American nation in the face of the international terrorist attack, and was proud of the conduct of Russians whom the tragedy found in or close to the World Trade Centre, and who took part in the rescue. In particular, the President mentioned engineer Yevgeny Knyazev, an immigrant from Russia, who took more than 70 survivors to safety, himself receiving fatal injuries, and journalist Yury Kirilchenko, who was rescuing people until he collapsed with a heart attack.
Mr Putin said he hoped that this instance of Russian-US cooperation in the struggle against terrorism would be not an exception but the basis of further constructive bilateral partnership.
He stressed that Russia was among the first to suffer the blows of contemporary terrorism, which it had been fighting single-handed. Today, a broad multi-national coalition was ready to repulse the threat.
Mr Putin said that Russia was calling to step up the drafting and adoption of a comprehensive convention on terrorism and an international convention against nuclear terrorism. He added that it was necessary to eradicate the social and economic causes of the new threats and challenges. He also found the struggle against poverty crucially important.
The President also said that Russia was advancing a radical programme for further strategic offensive arms reduction down to the least necessary to maintain the global strategic balance. He said the world was still far from basing international relations solely on mutual confidence, so it was essentially important to rely on the available treaties and agreements on disarmament and arms control.
Mr Putin mentioned Russian relations with NATO and certain international issues. He told the gathering about the reforms sweeping Russia. Russia had made an irreversible historic choice, and was forming a mature democratic state and an effective latter-day market economy, the President said.
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November 14, 2001 05:00
Wednesday
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President Vladimir Putin met with the Exxon Mobil CEO, Jewish organisation leaders and celebrated Russian ice hockey players during his sojourn in Washington.
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Mr Putin discussed a wide range of topics during his meetings at the Russian Embassy in Washington. His conversations concerned petroleum production, investments in the Russian economy, culture, religion, ice hockey and the upcoming Winter Olympics.
He received Lee Raymond, Chairma of Exxon Mobil,, who told him about American financial participation in the Sakhalin 1 project and the oil giant’s plans for further work in Russia.
Later on, Mr Putin met with the leaders of the largest American Jewish organisations.
He also talked to Russian Olympic Committee President Leonid Tyagachev, and prominent ice hockey players Vyacheslav Fetisov and the Bure brothers—Pavel and Valery. They discussed Russian team preparations for the Winter Olympics, due to take place in Salt Lake City, Utah, in February 2002. Mr Fetisov, employed until recently with the NHL New Jersey Devils, had been appointed chief coach of the Russian team shortly before the meeting.
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November 14, 2001 20:40
Wednesday
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HOUSTON, TEXAS. President Vladimir Putin addressed a Rice University audience and answered questions from the public.
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Spokesmen of the southern states’ academic and business circles were attending.
In his address to the gathering, Mr Putin said that Russia and the United States now really understood what an alliance meant. This gives a new meaning to their work for a thoroughly new partnership.
He quoted inspiring examples of Russian-American economic cooperation—the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Project Sakhalin 1, in which Exxon Mobil was taking part, and the presence of General Motors, Ford and Pratt & Whitney in Russia. He mentioned dynamic space partnership, and stressed that Russia and the United States together had done 85% of the International Space Station designing and manufacturing job.
Mr Putin said that the Russian Government was determined to buttress the legal basis of production sharing contracts and so make oil investments even more lucrative.
He highlighted many stable sectors of the Russian economy, which were turning into a vehicle of general security. That point mainly concerned Russian energy resources, he added.
Mr Putin mentioned the fine prospects for Russian-US partnership in research and education, and emphasised that the United States and Russia were the world’s first countries to embark on the development of sciences according to their branches.
He stressed the importance of mutual penetration of the two national education systems, as contacts in that sphere would benefit children, parents and nations alike.
As he went over to the Afghan problem, Mr Putin said that developments were unfolding as anticipated to achieve the original aims—the liberation of the country’s north and later of Kabul. It was necessary next to embark on political settlement and determine the nation’s future. He said President George Bush’s stance was well grounded—it was inadmissible to slacken direct efforts against terrorists and those who harbour them.
Mr Putin also spoke about Russia’s prospects for membership of the World Trade Organisation, its relations with NATO, and Russian and US attitudes to strategic offensive arms reduction.
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November 14, 2001 22:10
Wednesday
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HOUSTON, TEXAS. President Vladimir Putin met with George Bush Sr., the 41st US President.
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They met at Rice University in Houston, Texas, immediately after Mr Putin addressed academics and business people of the southern states. As he was greeting the Russian guest, Mr Bush Sr. told him about the audience’s warm response to his speech.
Mr Putin thanked him and said that the university had greatly impressed him.
Mr Bush said that the present US President highly valued Mr Putin’s strategic vision of Russian-US relations.
James Baker, former US Secretary of State, quoted an American saying, “The acorn falls near the oak,” to point out that the Bush father and son both favoured closer ties with Russia.
To that, Mr Putin said that Russians had a similar saying: “The apple falls near the apple-tree,” and that he was sure the helm to which Mr George W. Bush had succeeded remained in worthy hands.
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November 15, 2001 09:30
Thursday
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CRAWFORD, TEXAS. The second day of President Vladimir Putin's state visit to the United States ended with a dinner party at George Bush's ranch.
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The two countries’ leaders had a long confidential talk. Their aides joined them later. The Presidents discussed a broad range of most important issues related to international events and Russian-American relations. The Afghan problem and the anti-terrorist operation [in Afghanistan] were discussed in greater detail.
Later, members of the delegations and the Texas authorities, as well as the closest friends of the Bush family, were invited to join the Presidents for a traditional Texas meal.
The dinner, held in a homely atmosphere, lasted for three hours. Political issues were not mentioned. The conversation was mostly conducted through interpreters but Vladimir Putin and George Bush exchanged short phrases in English from time to time.
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November 15, 2001 20:30
Thursday
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TEXAS. Vladimir Putin and George Bush visited a public school in Crawford together with their spouses.
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After breakfast at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, the Presidents had a morning stroll and a private talk. Later they visited a public school in the neighbouring town of Crawford together with their spouses.
A group of Russian students enrolled in Texas colleges and universities was also present.
The Russian President told public school students about his impressions of the United States and answered their questions.
Vladimir Putin called Texas a major US state. He said he was quite serious in saying this as Texas is known in Russia better than any other American state, except Alaska which was sold by Russia to the USA in the 19th century. The Russian President explained this attitude to Texas by highlighting the economic similarities between Russia and Texas, including a highly developed oil sector. He mentioned numerous contacts between Russia and Texas in high-tech and space research. Mr Putin also said that Russia appreciated the fact that the date of April 12, when Yuri Gagarin made the first historic space flight, was also marked in Texas.
When answering students’ questions, George Bush said that the better the Presidents got to know each other, the more he was convinced that their joint work could be extremely positive. Their personal friendship and contribution to the development of Russian-American relations would live longer than their terms in office, he said.
George Bush also said that he had accepted Vladimir Putin’s invitation to visit Russia. He added that the exact date for the visit had not yet been fixed but he believed it would be a very important visit.
Vladimir Putin asked American students whether they wanted George Bush to visit Russia and they answered “Yes” in unison.
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November 16, 2001 03:30
Friday
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NEW YORK CITY. President Vladimir Putin visited the site of the tragedy of 9/11.
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Upon arrival in New York City from Texas, Mr Putin went from the airport to southern Manhattan, where the World Trade Centre once stood.
Mr Putin was the first head of state to make a telephone call to US President George W. Bush after the appalling terrorist attack of September 11, and express solidarity with the American people.
From a Liberty Street view point, Mr Putin saw the site of the collapsed Twin Towers as debris clearing went on round the clock. Mayor Rudolf Giuliani acted as the Russian President’s guide. Mr Putin went next to the Memorial Wall, which bore the flags and names of countries whose citizens perished in the terrorist attack of 9/11. The Russian flag was among them. Mr Putin laid a wreath of red, blue and white flowers—the colours of the Russian and US flags—and wrote on the wall: “I bow to the victims’ memory, and admire New Yorkers’ courage. The great city and the great American nation will win!!! Vladimir Putin, November 15, 2001.”
Before leaving the site of the tragedy, Mr Putin approached a group of people who displayed exceptional valour on September 11—fire-fighters, rescuers and policemen. The first whom he talked to was Yury Kirilchenko, a New York correspondent of the Russian news agency ITAR-TASS. The terrorist attack found him on duty in the World Trade Centre. He continued to rescue other survivors until he collapsed with a heart attack, and had to undergo emergency surgery. Mr Putin wished the hero journalist health and success.
As Mr Giuliani said to the media, the tragedy of September 11 promoted US-Russian solidarity. The scope of destruction shocked President Putin. The Mayor also said that Russian nationals and Americans of Russian origin were among the victims of the terrorist attack.
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November 16, 2001 05:30
Friday
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NEW YORK CITY. President Vladimir Putin appeared on air on National Public Radio and answered questions from the public.
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His audience asked about various aspects of the Russian-US dialogue on anti-missile defence, the fight against international terrorism, Russia-NATO relations, the prospects for a peaceful settlement in Chechnya, and freedom of speech and religion in Russia. Certain questions concerned Mr Putin’s private life.
National Public Radio is among the most popular radio stations with New Yorkers. Previous leaders to have delivered addresses on NPR include Bill Clinton, the 42nd US President, Vice-President Richard Cheney, and Laura Bush, the present First Lady.
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November 16, 2001 06:00
Friday
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UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK CITY. President Vladimir Putin met with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
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After a detailed exchange of opinions, Mr Annan asked Mr Putin about the achievements of the previous Russian-US summit, which he highly appreciated as testifying to a new level of Moscow-Washington contacts that benefited the entire world.
Mr Putin, in his turn, actively supported United Nations efforts against international terrorism, and stressed the necessity for all countries to comply with the resolutions and decisions of the UN Security Council and General Assembly. Mr Annan thanked Russia for its vanguard role in the UN’s fight against terrorism.
They also had a detailed discussion about the political settlement in Afghanistan and measures to prevent the country from turning into a hotbed of international terrorism. Mr Putin and Mr Annan agreed that decision-making on the future of Afghanistan was mainly up to Afghans with active assistance from the international community.
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November 16, 2001 06:40
Friday
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NEW YORK CITY. President Vladimir Putin visited St Nicholas' Cathedral in New York City.
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Mr Putin attended a commemoration service for the victims of the terrorist attack of September 11.
St Nicholas’ Cathedral, on East 97th Street in Manhattan, represents the Moscow Patriarchate in the United States and is the principal shrine of the Russian Orthodox Church in North America. Municipal authorities gave it the status of an architectural monument in 1973.
It was built in 1902 on the order of Emperor Nicholas II. All of Russia held a collection to fund its construction. The centenary of the cathedral’s consecration is to be celebrated on a grand scale in 2002. Alexii II, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, is expected to attend the gala.
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November 16, 2001 07:30
Friday
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While on a state visit to the United States, President Vladimir Putin passed to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, or ROCOR, an invitation to visit Russia.
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The invitation was passed to Metropolitan Laurus, the new Primate of the ROCOR.
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Interview with the American Broadcasting Company ABC
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