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Update 9 March (transcript from US Mission in Geneva) Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - “Nothing was off the table,” said a clearly pleased US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who had the first words at a press conference with her counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. She characterized their wide-ranging meeting as “a very productive meeting of minds.”

It all happened over what Clinton described as an “excellent dinner” with, on the table, vegetable soup, grilled turbot fillet with carrots and turnips, chocolate molleux with wine, coffee and tea.

Arms control, countering terrorism, Iran and Afghanistan were key focal points, but both Clinton and Lavrov emphasized the importance of time and their agreement to move rapidly on a number of issues.

“There is no time to waste. We must turn our words into deeds,” said Clinton.

The greatest urgency, they said, is the START talks, including the issue of verification which has been a sticking point (Ed. note: the Start talks were proposed in Geneva by US President Ronald Reagan in 1982 and final implementation of the complex arms control treaty took place in 2001).

Asked if they intend to reach an agreement on a new treaty by the end of the year they said they have agreed to work to that end. Clinton said that top priorities will be set following from agreements on START. “We must reduce the number of nuclear weapons,” she said. She added that “a great part of the discussion went on the [problem of] nuclear weapons in the hands of irresponsible actors.”

Special attention was paid, they both said, to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Both appeared relaxed and congenial, calling each other by first names, with Clinton laughing lightly when she tripped over the name of Russia’s President Medvedev, and Lavrov smiling graciously.

Clinton emphasized several times the need for dialogue in order to build trust. “We think that through cooperation we can build trust,” while Lavrov, for his part, said that “we’re very much reassured, that President Obama’s administration is willing to listen to others, including Russia.”

The two were equally clear that differences remain, and they said that finding common ground will not be easy in several areas. They emphasized their shared concern to bring stability to Afghanistan, with Clinton warmly thanking the Russians for their decision in February 2009 to allow the transit of non-military supplies headed for Afghanistan.

Lavrov said that Russia is keen to see all countries in the Middle East, live in peace and security, but there are shades and shades of points of view on how to achieve this, he added.

A red and yellow “restart” button was offered earlier by Clinton to Lavrov, who, as the conference came to a close turned serious and said with some passion, “I would hope that no countries would ever, ever push the buttons for destructive weapons.”

Related:

“Clinton predicts new arms treaty with Russia,” AP, 6 March 2009

“Broadening the disarmament agenda through START,” by Pavel Podvig in Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 4 March 2009