US Presidency
1987

We can only hope that this history-making agreement will not be an end in itself but the beginning of a working relationship that will enable us to tackle the other urgent issues before us: strategic offensive nuclear weapons, the balance of conventional forces in Europe, the destructive and tragic regional conflicts that beset so many parts of our globe, and respect for the human and natural rights God has granted to all men. To all here who have worked so hard to make this vision a reality: Thank you, and congratulations, above all to Ambassadors Glitman and Obukhov. To quote another Russian proverb, as you can see, I am becoming quite an expert, in Russian proverbs: The harvest comes more from sweat than from the dew. So, I am going to propose to General Secretary Gorbachev that we issue one last instruction to you: Get some well deserved rest. The General Secretary: We're not going to do that. The President: Well, now, Mr. General Secretary, would you like to say a few words before we sign the treaty?