The Meetings of President Ronald Reagan and

and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev

November 19-21, 1985

While acknowledging the differences in their systems and approaches to international issues, some greater understanding of each side's view was achieved by the two leaders. They agreed about the need to improve U.S.-Soviet relations and the international situation as a whole. In this connection the two sides have confirmed the importance of an ongoing dialogue, reflecting their strong desire to seek common ground on existing problems. They agreed to meet again in the nearest future. The General Secretary accepted an invitation by the President of the United States to visit the United States of America and the President of the United States accepted an invitation by the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU to visit the Soviet Union.

Joint Soviet-United States Statement on the Summit Meeting in Geneva
November 21, 1985

Preparation for the Geneva Summit

My mission, stated simply, is a mission for peace. It is to engage the new Soviet leader in what I hope will be a dialog for peace that endures beyond my Presidency. It is to sit down across from Mr. Gorbachev and try to map out, together, a basis for peaceful discourse even though our disagreements on fundamentals will not change. It is my fervent hope that the two of us can begin a process which our successors and our peoples can continue -- facing our differences frankly and openly and beginning to narrow and resolve them; communicating effectively so that our actions and intentions are not misunderstood; and eliminating the barriers between us and cooperating wherever possible for the greater good of all.

PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN
Address to the Nation on the Upcoming Soviet-United States Summit Meeting in Geneva
November 14, 1985

From July 18-23, 1955, President Dwight Eisenhower met with Prime Minister Edgar Faure of France, Premier Nikolai Bulganin of the Soviet Union, and Prime Minister Anthony Eden of the United Kingdom in Geneva, Switzerland to discuss German reunification, European security, disarmament, and development of East-West contacts.

Thirty years later, the leaders of the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics would once again meet in Geneva, Switzerland.

Click the galleries below to explore audio recordings, photographs, textual records, and video footage related to the preparation for the meetings of President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev in Geneva, Switzerland in November 1985.

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November 19, 1985

I have an announcement to begin today. The United States and the Soviet Union agreed at the outset of their meetings today that there will be no details provided by either side of the meetings between President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev until these meetings conclude. Both sides have agreed this was appropriate in view of the serious and far-reaching topics that will be discussed on the agenda from both sides. There will be briefings only by the principal spokesmen for both governments, myself for the United States and Mr. Zamyatin for the Soviet Union. At these briefings, only the length of the meetings, the participants, will be provided – nothing else.

PRESS BRIEFING BY LARRY SPEAKES
November 19, 1985
Hotel Intercontinental
11:40 A.M. (L)

On November, 19, 1985, President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev met for the first time at Villa Fleur d'Eau in Geneva, Switzerland. The schedule for the day included: private meetings, plenary meetings, and dinner hosted by General Secretary Gorbachev and Raisa Gorbachev at the Soviet Mission.

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November 20, 1985

The President has now met roughly three hours with General Secretary Gorbachev in private meetings with no aides. I can only interpret that as that the two men communicate well with each other. They outlined their views very effectively to each other. The two obviously feel comfortable with each other in discussing the issues between us there.

PRESS BRIEFING BY LARRY SPEAKES
November 20, 1985
Press Filing Center, The Hotel Intercontinental
11:50 A.M. (L)

On November 20, 1985, President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev met for the second day of the Geneva Summit. The schedule for the day included: private meeting, plenary meetings, and dinner hosted by President Reagan and Nancy Reagan at Maison de Saussure.

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November 21, 1985

I leave Geneva today and our fireside summit determined to pursue every opportunity to build a safer world of peace and freedom. There's hard work ahead, but we're ready for it. General Secretary Gorbachev, we ask you to join us in getting the job done, as I'm sure you will.

PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN
Remarks on Issuing the Joint Soviet-United States Statement on the Summit Meeting in Geneva
November 21, 1985

On the morning of November 21, 1985, President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev issued a Joint Soviet-United States Statement on the Summit Meeting in Geneva which laid out where agreements had been reached. These areas included: security, nuclear and space talks, risk reduction centers, nuclear non-proliferation, and chemical weapons.

After, President Reagan flew to Brussels, Belgium to attend a special session of the North Atlantic Council at the NATO Headquarters to report on his meetings with General Secretary Gorbachev.

That evening, President Reagan and Nancy Reagan traveled back to Washington, D.C., and President Reagan delivered his Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress Following the Soviet-United States Summit Meeting in Geneva.

In October 1986, President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev would meet in Reykjavik, Iceland to continue negotiations and seek progress on a range of issues.

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Gifts Housed in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Artifact Collection

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