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RealAudio 14.4, RealAudio 28.8
Sometimes people ask me now, "You're so different, Reagan did not like detail.
Reagan liked generalities in politics in policies. Reagan did not like
detailed analysis." But, well, different people have different styles. And
what President Reagan was doing was in his manner, in his style. And of
course, he was also accompanied by very, very smart people, particularly George
Shultz. They were a team that was working very well. And I am very pleased
that we met, that as two top leaders of our countries we were able to take the
most important positions and to work together with others. So from the very
start, my attitude toward him was very serious. Also, I understood that on our
side too, far from everything was right. Both in terms of ideology and policy
and in terms of practical negotiation and the practical business of politics.
Not everything was right on our side. And I could not have any intention of
upstaging President Reagan because I saw that it was because of the inertia of
our old leaders. Brechnev was ill, Andropov was ill, Chernenko was ill...that
many problems accumulated. So the first of term of President Reagan, he was
not quite lucky on that score. And therefore, again, I did not have any kind
of (inaudible) intention...negative intention toward President Reagan. Of
course, my impression, and I make no secret of that, was that...and is...that
this is a very conservative person. He was very much on the right of the
Republican party. And many Americans said that beyond President Reagan, to the
right of President Reagan, is just the fringe. And that makes it even more
important that we were able to work together.
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