[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
[June 24, 1991]
[Pages 715-716]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Exchange With Reporters Prior to a Meeting With Sadako Ogata, United 
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
June 24, 1991

Refugee assistance

    Q. Nice to see you.
    The President. Very nice to see you all. Just delighted. We had a 
wonderful weekend, and we're so pleased to see Mrs. Ogata here because 
we're going to talk about some very important refugee matters. The High 
Commissioner's Office is doing a superb job, and we've got some big 
problems out there.
    High Commissioner Ogata. We do have two large issue areas. One is, 
of course, in Iraq and in the Persian Gulf area. And the other is now in 
the Horn of Africa----
    The President. Oh yes.
    High Commissioner Ogata. ----which is just as large in terms of the 
scope of the refugees involved as well as the seriousness. And we 
require a great deal of international support and mobilization of 
resources.
    The President. Well, we certainly want to do our part on that.
    High Commissioner Ogata. You have been doing a great deal. And I 
came primarily to thank you very much and also to ask you for continued 
support.
    The President. Well, as these problems develop, the United States--
--
    High Commissioner Ogata. You have always taken the lead, yes.
    The President. ----will have to do it. We have to do that.
    Thank you all very much.

Measles Vaccine Funding

    Q. Mr. President, have you postponed the funding of the measles 
vaccine for another year?
    The President. I don't know what that story was about. If it's done, 
it hasn't been called to my attention. And I'll have to discuss it 
with----
    Q. It was a low-level set of recommendations that have worked 
themselves up to----
    The President. I wondered where that story came from, because there 
was certainly no decision----
    Q. Because after extravaganza last week on----
    The President. Yes, exactly. They're trying to act like we're 
turning our back. I'm surprised people would write it without confirming 
it, saying I had done something. It was a little annoying, but we'll 
have to look at it. I can't understand how anybody would write something 
and attributing it to what the President had done without doing as 
you're doing, verifying it. So, I appreciate your thoroughness here, 
giving us a chance to set the record straight.
    Q. There's a few other questions we have, too.
    The President. Good to see you.

[[Page 716]]

                    Note: The exchange began at 11:08 a.m. in the Oval 
                        Office at the White House. A tape was not 
                        available for verification of the content of 
                        these remarks.