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HEARING OF THE HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE SUBJECT: THE U.S. SECURITY RELATIONSHIP WITH RUSSIA AND ITS IMPACT ON TRANSATLANTIC SECURITY CHAIRED BY: REPRESENTATIVE IKE SKELTON (D-MO) WITNESSES: ALEXANDER VERSHBOW, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS; VICE ADMIRAL JAMES WINNEFELD JR., DIRECTOR FOR STRATEGIC PLANS AND POLICY, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF; PHILIP GORDON, ASSISTANT... (Part 2).

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HEARING OF THE HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE SUBJECT: THE U.S. SECURITY RELATIONSHIP WITH RUSSIA AND ITS IMPACT ON TRANSATLANTIC SECURITY CHAIRED BY: REPRESENTATIVE IKE SKELTON (D-MO) WITNESSES: ALEXANDER VERSHBOW, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS; VICE ADMIRAL JAMES WINNEFELD JR., DIRECTOR FOR STRATEGIC PLANS AND POLICY, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF; PHILIP GORDON, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EUROPEAN AND EURASIAN AFFAIRS LOCATION: HVC-210, CAPITOL VISITORS CENTER, THE CAPITOL, WASHINGTON, D.C. TIME: 10:00 A.M. EDT DATE: THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2009(Part 2)

As you can see, there's a lot to cover today and I look forward to your testimony and hope that the discussion we have today will give this Congress and the American people a better understanding of the U.S.-Russia security relationship. Thank you very much. I yield back.

REP. SKELTON: Thank the gentleman from California.

We will begin with Mr. Alexander Vershbow -- Vershbow. Did I pronounce it correctly?

MR. VERSHBOW: Actually Vershbow, but -- REP. SKELTON: We welcome Mr. -- the honorable Vershbow. Please.

MR. VERSHBOW: Okay. Thank you, Chairman Skelton, Ranking Member McKeon, and other members of the committee. I very much welcome this opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the U.S. relationship with Russia and its implications for transatlantic and U.S. security. Russia has been a lifelong interest for me since I began studying the Russian language in high school in the 60s.

As a Foreign Service officer at what was then the Soviet desk in the 80s, as U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2001 to 2005, and now as assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, I've learned that getting U.S.-Russian relations right is one of our highest priorities and one of our biggest challenges.

So it's especially meaningful to report that recent developments in U.S.-Russian relations and most importantly the Moscow Summit that took...

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