    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [April 11, 1991]
    [Pages 359-360]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following Discussions With President Jacques Delors of the
    European Economic Community and President Jacques Santer of the European
    Council of Ministers
    April 11, 1991

        President Bush. I was delighted to have the opportunity to meet with
    two friends, the EC Council President Jacques Santer and Commission
    President Jacques Delors. We gather at a time of extraordinary challenge
    and opportunity throughout the world. Our victory in the Gulf--
    collective victory in the Gulf--has proven that international
    cooperation can defeat aggression and lay the groundwork for new
    international cooperation.
        As part of our mutual efforts to deepen U.S.-EC cooperation, we
    discussed a wide range of issues today. We talked about the situations
    in the Middle East, in Europe--East and West--and in the Soviet Union.
        I'm happy to report that we see eye to eye on these issues and that
    the EC is prepared to take on growing responsibilities. For example,
    we're going to work together to support reform in Eastern Europe. They
    are vitally interested in that, have been doing a lot in that regard. We
    agreed to continue to encourage the people of Yugoslavia to work out
    their differences peacefully and through democratic dialog.
        Presidents Santer and Delors and I reviewed the situation in the
    Soviet Union. We agreed to encourage constructive Soviet involvement in
    world affairs and to support constructive domestic reform within the
    U.S.S.R.
        We also discussed, obviously, the Middle East. This administration
    values the excellent support we received from our European friends and
    allies in the Gulf crisis, and we continue to work with them on what we
    must do to help create a stable environment to promote peace and
    prosperity in that region.
        Presidents Santer and Delors and I also reviewed the massive and
    urgent U.S. and European relief effort currently underway for the Iraqi
    refugees and displaced persons in Turkey, northern Iraq, and Iran. To
    ease the human suffering caused by Saddam's brutality and repression of
    his own people, the United States and the European Community are working
    to get urgently critical supplies of food and shelter and medicine to
    the refugees as quickly as possible. A number of European nations are
    cooperating with the United States in airlifting these supplies to
    Turkey and to concentrations of refugees in the largest relief effort
    mounted in modern military history.
        We had a broad and useful discussion of our views of Europe after
    the Paris CSCE summit. Of particular interest to us are the EC's plans
    for greater political and economic union. And I reiterated our support
    for European integration and our shared interest in the development of a
    European security in the transatlantic alliance. We reaffirmed our
    mutual commitment to continuing transatlantic cooperation on issues
    involving our mutual security, foreign policy, on our economic
    interests.
        And we also talked about our hopes for renewed progress on the
    Uruguay round. In a world increasingly defined and bound by economic
    interests, we all have an interest in free and fair trade. An open
    trading regime would permit each of us to build on our strengths and
    take advantage of the

    [[Page 360]]

    others' strengths. I reiterated my desire to gain renewal of Fast Track
    trade authority. And we all agreed to work for rapid progress on the
    Uruguay round.
        From the standpoint of the United States of America, this has been a
    very constructive visit. And I might say parenthetically, and I hope the
    two Presidents here agree, that the relationship between the EC and the
    United States is strong and good.
        Mr. President, welcome. All yours, sir.
        President Santer. Ladies and gentlemen, first of all, I want to
    express my gratitude to President Bush for inviting the President of the
    European Commission, Mr. Jacques Delors, and myself, in my capacity as
    President of the European Council, to the White House for a mutual
    exchange of ideas.
        It is the very first time that the President of the United States
    receives both the President of the European Council and the President of
    the European Commission in the new context created by the Transatlantic
    Declaration of November 1990.
        The talks we had together have been very fertile for both sides and
    they have taken place in an excellent atmosphere. I would particularly
    like to point out that both sides have submitted their concerns with
    considerable fairness and that all items raised have been discussed with
    utmost frankness.
        In my capacity as acting President of the European Council, I am
    particularly pleased with the fact that the United States of America and
    the European Community have many points of convergence, especially in
    the regard of the reorganization of Europe after the political upheavals
    in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. This can only have
    positive repercussions on the restructuring of the European Continent.
        It is evident that the date of this visit is opportune, favorable,
    and well-chosen. The Gulf war, which the United States of America and
    their partners in Europe have won in a perfect solidarity, is over now.
    At present, we are facing new challenges which are direct and immediate
    consequences of this conflict. First, the dramatic situation of the Kurd
    refugees in Turkey and Iraq. And second, the launching of the peace
    process in the Near and Middle East, a process that should bring durable
    and definitive peace in the whole region.
        I'm fully convinced that through these talks, we have laid the
    foundation of an intensification of dialogs between the United States of
    America and the European Community and, hence also, of a closer
    cooperation including security.
        Thank you very much.
        President Bush. Thank you, Mr. President. Good to see you all.

                        Note: President Bush spoke at 1:29 p.m. at the South
                            Portico of the White House. In his remarks, he
                            referred to President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.