Understanding can only come through regular communication - George Bush Sr.

WASHINGTON, December 5. /TASS/. It's important that U.S. and Russian leaders have an understanding and awareness that can only come through regular communication, former U.S. president George Bush Sr. said when answering a TASS correspondent’s questions in connection with the 25th anniversary since the Soviet-American summit in Malta. The 41st U.S. president together with his Soviet counterpart Mikhail Gorbachev participated in the summit on December 2-3, 1989, which is associated with the end of the cold war. The U.S. politician said the meeting was "a success, a critical and historic success". “Going into the meeting in Malta, we had a wide array of subjects we wanted to cover with President Gorbachev in order to build on the common ground that the United States and the Soviet Union had established to that point. Because we had to cancel one of the meetings due to rough weather, and had spoken so thoroughly on a few main issues, we did not get to everything on our agenda - but in my view the meeting was a success, a critical and historic success. It gave us a solid foundation on which to build a better and safer future. Just as important, the Malta meeting had a positive effect on my personal relationship with Mikhail Gorbachev which I thought was symbolized in our joint press conference - the first ever in US-Soviet relations,” he said. When asked what lessons, in his opinion, this experience should teach for the future and what can be done now to prevent a new Cold War, he answered: “Since leaving the White House, I have refrained from getting into the advice giving business - and I am not about to do so now. But I think it speaks to the obvious that our nations and our common interests are better served when our leaders are not like ships passing in the night with lights out. It's important that our leaders have a sense of each other's "heartbeat," an understanding and awareness that can only come through regular communication.” Read more