Itar-Tass
Bush praises US-Russia POW/MIA Comsn activity-Shamanov
Russian general goes to U.S. to discuss search for missing servicemen
WASHINGTON, March 27 (Itar-Tass) - US President George W. Bush highly assesss the activities of the Russian-American Joint Commission On Prisoners of War and Missing in Action. Bush made this statement receiving the co-chairs of the POW/MIAs Commission, Gen. Robert Foglesong and Gen. Vladimir Shamanov, in the White House on Monday. The meeting with the American head of state was held in the Oval Office. Russian Ambassador to the United States Yuri Ushakov also took part in the meeting.
Shamanov, who is also an adviser to the Russian defence minister, told Itar-Tass that during the meeting Bush expressed words of gratitude to the Commission for its 15-year work that made it possible to clarify the fate of over 19,000 American soldiers that were taken prisoner or went missing during the Second World War, as well as the Korean, Vietnam and "Cold" wars. The Russian defence minister's adviser for his part stressed that "the American side helped to learn the fate of over 450,000 displaced persons after the Second World War." "There are also results on military conflicts in Vietnam , Korea, Afghanistan," Shamanov said. According to him, "It's been a really huge amount of work done." The sides also discuss "super sensitive" matters, he noted The United States has said in the past that certain Americans that had been captured in Korea or Vietnam could have been secretly taken to the Soviet Union.
Shamanov also said that Bush values relations with Russia and his personal friendship with President Vladimir Putin.
"US President George Bush said that he very much values the history of relationship between Russia and America and is happy that his has been linked by personal friendship with President Vladimir Putin for many years," in the words of Shamanov. "
And even in the situations when the sides' views differ, this personal friendship allows them to find solutions in most complicated spheres of international affairs," said the official.
Shamanov drew attention to the fact that the first meeting of the US-Russia Joint Commission on POW/MIAs was held in Moscow exactly 15 years ago.
"Receiving us in the Oval Office, Bush, it seems to me, wanted to show the Russian leadership that his administration and he personally attach major importance to the commission activities," said Shamanov. "His meeting with us is a kind of advance and simultaneously the assessment of the work done," he noted.
The Russian defence minister's adviser said he asked the US president to pass to his father George Bush Sr. "a souvenir - a plate with a golden coat of arms, emblem of the Russian Armed Forces and a pennant" for his contribution to the creation of the bilateral POW/MIAs Commission. Bush reciprocated presenting the Russian guest with a souvenir box with the White House picture and his personal autograph on it.
Russia & CIS Military Daily
March 26, 2007