The Secretary and the Reset Button (A case for promoting U.S. Russian language study)

[Gorham,Michael S]

Source: David S. Cloud, "Clinton Gift Gaffe: Overcharge," Politico.com (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/19719.html)

GENEVA-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton opened her first meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov by giving him a present meant to symbolize the Obama administration's vow to "press the reset button" on U.S.-Russia relations.

She handed a palm-sized box wrapped with a bow. Lavrov opened it and pulled out the gift-a red button on a black base with a Russian word "peregruzka" printed on top.

"We worked hard to get the right Russian word. Do you think we got it?," Clinton said.

"You got it wrong," Lavrov said.

Instead of reset, Lavrov said the word on the box meant "overcharge."

Clinton and Lavrov laughed.

"We won't let you do that to us," she said. Trying to recover, Clinton said the new administration was serious about improving relations with Moscow. "We mean it and we're looking forward to it."

Lavrov said he would put the button on his desk and he and Clinton pushed the button together, before sitting down for their meeting.

A State Department official said the misspelling on the button was being corrected, in time for the post-meeting news conference.

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