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First Day of Obama’s Visit to Russia: Issues Discussed
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by Yuliya Talmazan | July 6, 2009 at 10:24 am
1062 views | 15 Recommendations | 8 comments
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Presidents of USA and Russia: Barak Obama and Dmitry Medvedev
uploaded by Mitya Aleshkovsky
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The US President Barack Obama began the first day of his two-day official visit to Russia on July 6. Obama will meet with the current President of Russia Dmitri Medvedev as well as the Prime Minister and former President Vladimir Putin. Obama’s agenda concerns numerous issues that have yet to be settled with the Russian administration, key among which are the US-backed installation of the anti-missile system in central Europe and NATO's military trainings in Russia’s neighbouring republics of Ukraine and Georgia. In addition, Obama and Medvedev will discuss arms cuts and cooperation efforts in Afghanistan.
Monday’s meeting in Moscow won’t be the first one between Obama and Medvedev. The two presidents met at the G20 Summit in London back in April of this year. It appears Obama is much more on the same page with Medvedev than he is with Putin, who he claims “has one foot in the old ways of doing business and one foot in the new” and has been using a “Cold War approach” in dealings with the United States.
The things that will be discussed as part of Obama’s visit today:
--Russia allowing US Air Force to fly over Russian territory to transport personnel and supplies for its mission in Afghanistan. Up to 12 trips a day (or 4,500 military flights per year) will be allowed thanks to this breakthrough agreement
--Both sides significantly reducing nuclear arms, some say by as much as a third to below 1,675 nuclear warhead units within seven years of the signing of a treaty. The two presidents were in a bit of a rush to reach some sort of agreement concerning the nuclear weapons because the 1991 START 1 nuclear treaty was set to expire in December of this year. The US and Russia account for more than 90 per cent of the world's nuclear weapons
--Although nothing decisive was agreed upon regarding the installation of the American anti-missile shield in central Europe, he two sides also agreed to continue discussing cooperation on missile defense. Obama has agreed to review the missile defense plan but is not prepared to abandon it. Russia, on the other hand, views the missile shield is a serious threat to Russian sovereignty. Not much has been said yet about NATO's trainings in Ukraine and Georgia amidst escalating tensions between these former Soviet republics and Russia. Before today's visit, Obama's administration has eased its insistence that Ukraine and Georgia join NATO.
--Russia restoring the U.S.-Russia commission to find missing Prisoners of War and military personnel from WW1, Vietnam and Afghanistan. Russia backed out from the commission in 2004, restricting direct access for US researchers to the information on missing US military personnel
--The creation of a joint commission to improve trade relations
--Cooperation on Iran and North Korea
Obama’s visit to Russia is expected to bring more than the resolutions to some of the long-standing political issues dividing Russia and the US. The visit of the American President will also bring $1.5 billion worth of business deals to Russia. Companies like PepsiCo and Boeing are especially interested in investing in Russia. Meanwhile, Russian oil giant LUKOIL wants a piece of the US market. Business executives are set to meet with both Presidents in a parallel business summit.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did not accompany President Obama to Russia as she is still recovering from an elbow injury that she sustained on her way to the White House in mid-June.
Unprecedented security measures have been taken by Moscow to ensure the safety of President Obama and his escort. It is estimated the number of security personnel servicing President Obama’s visit to Russia exceeds 10,000.
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Yuliya Talmazan
Burnaby, Canada
Mitya Aleshkovsky
Russia
sara star
Halifax, NS, Canada
Lydia Bociurkiw
Ottawa, Canada
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Recommendations (15)
Spydermonkey
huntsville, Alabama, United Statessara star
Halifax, NS, Canadaeverchanging
Phoenix, Arizona, United StatesAnonymous user
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (8)
at 12:35 on July 6th, 2009
The US and Russia account for more than 90 per cent of the world's nuclear weapons.
That's a lot!
It is estimated the number of security personnel servicing President Obama’s visit to Russia exceeds 10,000.
Incredible!
at 12:55 on July 6th, 2009
That is a lot of security.
at 12:46 on July 6th, 2009
I find it most interesting regarding territory release by Russia for fly-over by United States Military into Afghanistan. Who would have ever thought that would ever be a possibility. Even in these times.
Thank you for a condensed view of the events these next two days between the Russians and the United states. Now I feel like I have a better understanding of these meetings between all involved.
at 12:58 on July 6th, 2009
How do reduce nuclear warheads? Do you simply take them apart, so you can quickly put them together if you ever need them? Not that we would - a few are enough.
And where do you store or dispose the parts?
at 12:59 on July 6th, 2009
Thanks for commenting Sara Star and everchanging. Indeed, the level of security is mind-blowing. And, reducing warheads does seem a little perplexing to me too. It is incredibly expensive to put these warheads together, so dismantling them might be equally as pricey.
at 13:47 on July 7th, 2009
The uranium in the warheads can also be reprocessed into fuel for nuclear reactors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megatons_to_Megawatts_Program
at 06:56 on July 29th, 2009
I saw a video that showed the Russian delegation refusing to shake President Obama's hand!! I am shocked at that kind of behavior. Seems to me that President Obama took it with dignity. I think it’s a very sad statement from the Russians, in that regardless of how you feel about someone, on a diplomatic level, one should be able to use the manners their parents taught them – especially if cameras are rolling! I feel that this incident did not make President Obama look bad, it actually made the Russian delegation look bad. Shame on them!!
at 09:02 on September 13th, 2009
Is that video real or junk? I cannot believe that it did not hit the US airwaves? I've seen it as well, and it is just painful to watch!