    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [May 8, 1991]
    [Page 489]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater on President Bush's Meeting With
    President Vytautus Landsbergis of Lithuania and Prime Ministers Ivars
    Godmanis of Latvia and Edgar Savisaar of Estonia
    May 8, 1991

        The President met today with President Landsbergis of Lithuania,
    Prime Minister Godmanis of Latvia, and Prime Minister Savisaar of
    Estonia for about 40 minutes in the Cabinet Room. The three Baltic
    leaders, who are on a private visit to the United States, had requested
    the meeting, the President's sixth with Baltic officials during the past
    12 months.
        The President reiterated the longstanding U.S. policy of
    nonrecognition of the forcible incorporation of the Baltic States into
    the Soviet Union in 1940. The President noted the United States had
    transported emergency medical assistance to the Baltic States in
    February. The United States intends to send additional shipments of
    medical supplies to the Baltic States and to continue its program of
    medical assistance in the Soviet Union itself.
        The President said the United States was encouraged by the
    resumption of negotiations between the Soviet Government and the Baltic
    States. The United States believes that fair and constructive
    negotiations are the only way to resolve the complex problems between
    Moscow and the Baltic governments. He said the United States hoped that
    all parties to these negotiations could be flexible and pragmatic in
    order to reach a just and lasting resolution of the problem.