[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
[February 27, 1991]
[Pages 182-184]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks to the Conference on Marketing Economics and Management Training 
for Eastern Europe
February 27, 1991

    Thank you very much. Nice to see all of you. Please be seated, and
welcome, all. I'm very pleased to be here in my role as what's billed as 
a cameo appearance, in and out--[laughter]--and let you get on with the 
important work before you. But I want to welcome all of you to the White 
House. Thank you for your participation.
    A number have come from very far away: Vice President Pregl of 
Yugoslavia; the Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Mr. Pirinski; and 
Ministers from Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania.
    Among so many others here today, George Varga from Hungary and Haile 
Aguilar from Poland, Drew Lewis--where's Drew? I don't see him. Among 
others who are not here is Drew Lewis. [Laughter] But let me just say 
this: His leadership at the Citizens Democracy Corps has been just 
fantastic. And I was hoping he'd be here so I could single him out. He's 
for lunch--okay. And of course, Dave Gergen, who I understand is ably 
moderating all of this. I salute Secretaries Robson and Eagleburger, 
too.
    Yesterday I was on the phone for a long time with Vaclav Havel, the 
President of Czechoslovakia. And I made clear to him that, though the 
Gulf obviously is dominating the news coverage and claiming a lot of our 
time, I have not lost interest, nor has anyone in our government--as 
Secretaries Eagleburger and Robson can attest to--we have not lost 
interest in what's going on in Eastern Europe. All our people here are 
experts. Bruce Gelb knows that; Mike Roskens knows. And we are delighted 
that this is going forward, this conference and these discussions.
    Historic events in Central and Eastern Europe--I called it the 
Revolution of '89--and its aftermath have indeed inspired us all. These 
countries are committed to free societies and free market economies. And 
we have been strong supporters of economic reform in Central and Eastern 
Europe through major bilateral commitments and supportive stabilization 
programs, enterprise funds for the private sectors of Poland, Hungary, 
and Czechoslovakia, and improved trade and investment relations.

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And I'd say from talking to our experts that the results are 
encouraging. Economic reforms are largely on track despite some very 
difficult challenges, despite some outside effects on these economies.
    I think back to a conversation that I had again with President Havel 
about the effect that that early oil increase, the spike in oil prices 
as a result of the war, had on his economy. And then I heard from other 
Eastern European leaders about the adverse effect that it had on their 
economies. So, there have been some abnormal challenges as these market 
economies begin to function.
    I think that our efforts and those of many in this room have helped 
bring positive change. And I know that the Western European countries 
are very much together in the determination that the positive change 
continue. But Central and Eastern Europeans cry out for one thing that 
our Federal Government alone certainly cannot offer, and that is private 
investment and practical free market expertise and involvement from 
Americans.
    I've stressed throughout my administration that excellence in 
education is a key element of sound growth. And educated, well-trained 
labor forces are important for mature economies, and they're absolutely 
crucial for economies in transition. And a well-informed populace lends 
support for reform. Many of you, as I indicated earlier, are already 
engaged in Central and Eastern Europe. With the great human potential 
and commitment to market economic reform, these economies of Central and 
Eastern Europe are seeking to attract trade and investment. And I just 
hope that that trend will continue.
    You have the ability to provide the world's best training in 
management and market economies. And America know-how really does run 
the gamut from higher education to the small-scale entrepreneurship. 
Universities, businesses, foundations, government all have something to 
contribute. I think that there is an important link between economic and 
political freedom. Education, free markets, and the prosperity they 
bring will reinforce political pluralism in these countries.
    The challenges that these countries face as they fundamentally 
restructure their economies are enormous. Our administration will 
continue its strong support and assistance for their vital and historic 
efforts.
    I just really wanted to come over to thank all of you. I might say, 
knowing of the interest that everyone has in the business at hand in the 
Gulf, that when I got to the office this morning the news continues to 
be very, very good, very, very heartening. I know that all Americans 
took great joy in the beginning of the liberation of Kuwait City. But 
the liberation of Kuwait, the country, is almost complete. I hope that 
those from overseas will explain this note of personal pride when I say 
I have never been more proud in my life of anybody than I am of the men 
and women of the United States Armed Forces. They have served with great 
distinction, enormous motivation from the very beginning. And I think 
what they have done to contribute to this wave of patriotism and 
demonstration to others that our country is united is absolutely superb 
and will go down in history.
    Having said all that, we're going to concentrate on ending that 
thing, ending it right, and then moving forward and staying with these 
enormous challenges that these countries face. We can be helpful there. 
Our relationship with the Soviet Union has a lot to do with how a lot of 
this goes forward, and I'm determined to see that that stays on a good 
plane. So, you caught me on an upbeat day--particularly upbeat, with the 
visit of these foreign----[applause]

                    Note: The President spoke at 10 a.m. in Room 450 of 
                        the Old Execu tive Office Building. In his 
                        remarks, he referred to Zivko Pregl, Vice 
                        President of the Yugoslav Federal Executive 
                        Council; Georgi Pirinski, Member of the 
                        Bulgarian Grand National Assembly; Zdenko Pirek, 
                        Czechoslovak Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs 
                        and Head of the Hungarian Coordination Committee 
                        for Foreign Assistance; Ferenc Madl, Hungarian 
                        Minister Without Portfolio in the Office of the 
                        Prime Minister; Polish Minister Jacek Saryusz-
                        Wolski, Coordinator of Foreign 
                        Assistance to Poland and Plenipotentiary for 
                        Europe; Eugen Dijmarescu, Romanian 
                        Minister of State for Economic

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                        Orientation; George Varga, president and chief 
                        executive officer of Tungsram Co., Ltd., 
                        Hungary; Haile Aguilar, general manager of the 
                        Warsaw Marriott Hotel; Drew Lewis, chairman of 
                        the board of the Citizens Democracy Corps; David 
                        S. Gergen, editor-at-large for U.S. News & World 
                        Report; Deputy Secretary of the Treasury John E. 
                        Robson; Deputy Secretary of State Lawrence S. 
                        Eagleburger; President Vaclav Havel of 
                        Czechoslovakia; Bruce S. Gelb, Director of the 
                        U.S. Information Agency; and Ronald W. Roskens, 
                        Administrator of the Agency for International 
                        Development.