[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book I)]
[July 6, 1994]
[Pages 1200-1204]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



The President's News Conference With Baltic Leaders in Riga
July 6, 1994

    President Clinton. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Last year I 
had the pleasure of meeting these three Presidents, President Ulmanis, 
President Meri, and President Brazauskas, during the opening of the U.N. 
General Assembly. It is a great honor for me to see them again here as 
the first American President to set foot on free Baltic soil. On Monday, 
my country celebrated the birth of democracy in America 218 years ago. 
Today, on behalf of all Americans, I salute the Baltic countries for 
another birth of democracy. And I salute the Baltic people for the 
courage, the perseverance, and the discipline that made independence 
possible.

[[Page 1201]]

    We have just had a very productive session. We noted the 
considerable progress made since we met last year and focused on the 
goals we all share: to expand democracy, security, and the broad 
integration of the Baltic countries with the West.
    Much of our discussion focused on the hope for an historic 
withdrawal of the last Russian troops from Latvia and Estonia by August 
31st. I congratulate President Ulmanis on the withdrawal agreement he 
and President Yeltsin signed in Moscow. The United States is prepared to 
double the level of assistance it is providing, up to $4 million, to 
help Latvia to take down the unfinished radar structure at Skrunda.
    President Meri and I discussed the status of the Russian-Estonian 
talks on the withdrawal agreement. I believe the remaining differences 
between the two nations are narrow and can be resolved with flexibility 
on both sides. I told President Meri of my intentions to discuss this 
subject with President Yeltsin at Naples.
    To help reach this milestone the United States has more than doubled 
the housing vouchers we will provide to qualified Russian officers who 
want to resettle from Latvia and Estonia into Russia. The United States 
is also providing a $2 million package of assistance as part of the 
international effort to restore the environment at the former nuclear 
training site at Paldiski, Estonia.
    We also discussed the issue of ethnic minorities. I believe all 
three Presidents share my view on this matter. A tolerant and inclusive 
approach is needed to integrate these groups into the political and 
social life of all the countries. The progress made so far on troop 
withdrawals provides hope that the new democratic Russia, unlike the 
Soviet Union, can work with the Baltic countries for peace in the 
region.
    The three Presidents and I discussed progress in developing active 
bilateral and multilateral defense relationships. I'm pleased that 
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were among the first states to join the 
Partnership For Peace with NATO. In recognition of their role I have 
asked the Congress in the budget for 1995 for $10 million for the Baltic 
peacekeeping battalion and other peacekeeping troops in Central and 
Eastern Europe.
    We also covered the remarkable progress the Baltic nations have made 
in reforming their economies. Supporting the economic reintegration of 
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania with the West is a top priority of the 
United States. The hardships of transition are real, but the prospect of 
better times is visible. The trade and investment prospects are 
excellent. Just yesterday in Washington, the Overseas Private Investment 
Corporation signed an agreement with US West Telephone Corporation to 
ensure a $200 million telecommunications deal with Lithuania.
    Today we're announcing the American membership of the board of 
directors of the Baltic American Enterprise Fund, headed by Ambassador 
Rozanne Ridgway. Over the next several years, this fund will provide $50 
million to develop businesses in the Baltic States.
    From our own history, Americans know that winning the fight for 
independence is followed by even more arduous and difficult struggles 
for economic stability and national security. The people of Estonia, 
Latvia, and Lithuania have hard work ahead. But our meeting today 
convinces me that that work can and will be done successfully.
    President Guntis Ulmanis of Latvia. Mr. Presidents, dear audience, 
everybody who hears me today, I would like to welcome our guests to 
Latvia, President of the U.S.A. and the Presidents of Lithuania and 
Estonia.
    I think that this is a historic event. It's one more step in the 
direction of consolidation of Baltic independence. In this connection, I 
want to announce that the three Presidents of the three Baltic States 
have just signed a common statement in which the course of events of 
today has been reflected, and the main problematic issues have been 
mentioned that either promote or interfere with the consolidation of 
Baltic independence and economic growth.
    I fully agree to President Clinton about the viewpoints and measures 
and suggestions on which we have achieved mutual agreement. And I would 
like to lend emphasis on several issues that we discussed in greater 
detail.
    The three Presidents of the three Baltic States consider the main 
issue being the security issue of the Baltic region. The security--and 
the main issue here is the further cooperation within the project of 
Partnership For Peace, promotion of activity within this project not 
only on our side but also on behalf of the U.S.A. and other countries as 
well as finding the demands that the members of the Partnership For 
Peace should meet.

[[Page 1202]]

    We also talked about the duties and responsibilities of the member 
states of this project. Today we can point out that we have talked about 
the issues that support partnership should become only one stage in the 
course of consolidation of peace and security in the region. And the 
ultimate aim would be the guarantee of national security and joining the 
security structures.
    We also touched the issues of economic growth. It's of course clear 
that we all want and we are all convinced that Russia will withdraw its 
army on the 31st of August, and we see no reasons why it shouldn't be 
completed.
    The next issue we addressed was economic issues--economic problems 
in the Baltic States, and the main issue was the development of energy 
resources so that the Baltic States could irreversibly become 
independent. So economic independence is essential for national 
independence. We talked of gas and electricity and other energy sources. 
We touched also social issues, educational issues. We talked about how 
to stimulate the youth from the Baltic States to gain education not only 
in the Baltic States but so that they can access educational systems in 
other countries. We also think that the number of students now studying 
in the U.S.A. is much too little.
    We also addressed the issue of the criminal situation and inner 
security of the Baltic States. And all the four Presidents supported the 
importance of this issue, and I understood that the President of the 
U.S.A. gave us all the grounds to think that the U.S.A. will participate 
in these processes also with practical assistance and also by sharing 
their know-how.
    Speaking about security, we touched upon the issue of the army, 
about armament and about further possibilities to create normal mobile 
defense structures that could guarantee the security of the Baltic 
States.
    Maybe one of the central issues today was the relationship with 
Russia. We touched upon the issues about the withdrawal of the Russian 
troops, about the monitor system with regard to Skrunda radar station, 
about the prospects of the situation in Khaliningrad region, and so on 
and so forth. It's clear that, speaking about the relationship with 
Russia, all the four Presidents came to a common agreement that this 
relationship should be normal, interstate relationship where the 
interests and rights of all countries should be respected.
    I want to express once again my respect and gratitude to the U.S. 
President who found it possible to visit the Baltic States and talk to 
the three Presidents of the Baltic States and gave his viewpoint with 
regard to the further development of the Baltic States.
    Thank you.
    Now, I would like to invite you to ask questions.

President Boris Yeltsin of Russia

    Q. Does your phone call to Mr. Yeltsin on the eve of your visit to 
Riga have certain concerns about the possible Russian reaction to this 
visit?
    President Clinton. First of all, I called President Yeltsin to tell 
him where I was going on this trip and to talk about my firm conviction 
that we must continue with the schedule on Russian troop withdrawal. And 
that is something I've worked on since I first became President. I've 
worked very hard on it, and the United States has tried to support an 
orderly withdrawal in many ways, including funds for housing for Russian 
troops that are going back home to Russia as well as for dealing with 
specific issues like this Skrunda radar facility. So I wanted to just 
get an update from him about where he thought things were and tell him 
what I was going to do.
    He raised the issue, which he always does, about being concerned 
about the condition--the living conditions and the political rights of 
Russian people who stay in the Baltic States and become part of the 
minority population of the new democracies here. And I reaffirmed the 
position that I always have taken, which is the position of the United 
States within the United States, which is that in democracies, 
minorities have to have certain rights to participate and are entitled 
to fair treatment, and that that was the position of the United States, 
but that I thought the troop withdrawal should continue on schedule. It 
was a very straightforward conversation, as all of our conversations 
are.

Securing Baltic Independence

    Q.  Mr. Clinton, you and your Baltic colleagues hope that things are 
going to go right in Russia. But supposing they don't? Supposing in 2 
years' time we have a President Zhirinovsky or some other hard-liner in 
Moscow? Can you now assure your Baltic colleagues here that America will 
not permit them again, either by

[[Page 1203]]

subversion or bullying or any other means, to come back under Moscow's 
sphere of influence?
    President Clinton.  Well, sir, the whole purpose of the Partnership 
For Peace was to move toward that sort of security. Everybody who signed 
up for the Partnership For Peace had to, as a condition of its 
participation, recognize the territorial integrity and the independence 
of all the participating countries, and we now have 21 nations doing 
that.
    I think it is obvious from all the actions the United States has 
taken on security, on political matters, on economic matters, that we 
are trying to do everything we can to secure the independence of the 
Baltics. I also think it is obvious that we should deal with the world 
as it is and deal with people based on what they say and do. And I think 
that's where we are now.
    I don't think you should predict the worst in any country. And I can 
only report to you that we are laying the foundations that I think are 
most likely to guarantee the long-term security and independence of 
these nations.

Haiti

    Q. We have had a--[inaudible]--policy that was announced in Haiti 
before you left. Right now you are talking about opening new safe 
havens. It seems sort of confusing to understand why this is going to 
somehow speed the leaving of the military dictators, what one has to do 
with the other. Do you have confidence at this point that your policy is 
really going to lead to the departure of these people?
    President Clinton. I think the answer to that is yes, I believe it 
will. But in May when I announced the original policy of ending direct 
return, I said we would seek participation as we needed it from other 
countries, and that's what we're doing. And I think that it's an 
appropriate thing to do. But I also think the sanctions are having an 
impact.

Russian Withdrawals

    Q. Mr. President--[inaudible]--President Yeltsin's wish to tie troop 
withdrawal from Baltics with the situation of Russian minorities in 
these countries--I mean, Latvia and Estonia. Thank you.
    President Clinton.  We believe the two subjects should not be linked 
and that the withdrawal should continue, but we do support appropriate 
protections and rights for Russian minorities.
    Q.  Did you get assurance from the Baltic Presidents that Russian 
minorities would be treated properly and they would be 
nondiscriminatory? Apparently, they don't feel that way now.
    President Clinton. I thought that their statements to me over lunch 
were quite forthcoming about that. I felt good about it. I believe--let 
me say--let's look at this in the context of where we are. There is an 
agreement with Latvia for withdrawal of Russian troops by August 31st. 
The troop withdrawals have been completed in Lithuania. There are 
remaining differences to be resolved between Estonia and Russia. 
President Meri and I discussed that in some detail today, and I think 
the differences are narrow and will be bridged in the appropriate 
timeframe. And I'm going to do what I can to be helpful in that regard.

Role of Baltic Nations

    Q. Mr. President, what is the role of the Baltic States in this 
post-Communist situation in Europe, and what is the main motivation of 
your arrival to Latvia today?
    President Clinton. Well, the role of the Baltic States in the post-
Communist world is, first and foremost, to provide a free and good 
existence for the citizens of the nations to people who live in Estonia, 
Lithuania, and Latvia. But I think that the role of the Baltic States is 
greater than that. First, the Baltic States have agreed to participate 
in the Partnership For Peace. Secondly, the Baltic States have achieved 
a degree of economic stability and success that is much admired 
throughout Europe and indeed throughout the world, different in 
different countries, perhaps there's a higher growth rate in one 
country, a lower inflation rate in another country, but certainly, more 
success than many other countries have had in converting from a 
Communist economy to a more open market economy. I think that's also 
very important.
    I came here today because the Baltics are important to the United 
States. We have one million Americans who have roots in these three 
nations. We have always recognized these three nations as independent 
nations. We never recognized the loss of freedom and independence in the 
Baltics. And we have supported and admired the remarkable transformation 
in these nations in the last few years.
    So I came here to try to build on the successes of the end of the 
cold war, to enhance

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our security ties, to enhance our political cooperation, to enhance your 
economic development and our economic partnership because those things 
are important to the United States and important to the rest of the 
world.

Russian Withdrawals

    Q. Mr. President--[inaudible]--President Yeltsin--[inaudible]--
withdrawal in Estonia? And are you taking anything to Naples that you 
can tell President Yeltsin?
    President Clinton. I'm going to Naples, and I'm going to discuss 
with President Yeltsin the conversation I had with President Meri. And I 
will continue to do what I have done on this for a year and a half now, 
to push in a deliberate and firm way and to offer all the incentives we 
can offer to continue the troop withdrawals.
    It's been one of the great successes of the post-cold-war era, a 
success not just for these countries but a success for Russia as well, 
in making clear its intentions and making possible its participation in 
the world in a broader way. But I think it would be wrong to 
characterize our role as brokers. These are two independent nations. 
They have to reach agreement between themselves, and I'm confident that 
they will. If we can assist in that, we're going to do everything we can 
to assist. But they will have to make the decisions, and I think they 
will.
    Q. Can we get President Meri's reaction? President Meri?
    President Clinton. Please! [Laughter] Do you need English?
    President Lennart Meri of Estonia. No, I need your question. 
[Laughter]
    Q. Are you as confident as President Clinton seemingly is that 
Russia will withdraw all of its troops from Estonia by August 31st?
    President Meri. Well, let's have it clear why August 31st is so 
important, not only for Estonians, not only for Latvians but also, and 
in the first place, for Russia. You see, it is a highly symbolic date, 
meaning that the last ruins of World War II will be dismantled in 
Europe, that Europe will enter a new era where we will be in a position 
to build a security system which will be open, a free market system 
which will be open, and first of all, of course, a democratic society. 
That is the meaning of August 31st. It will be a first day of a new 
Europe, or if not, it will be just an example that we have some problems 
still to solve. And those are by no means Baltic problems. They are 
European problems, which means they are global problems.
    Thank you.

Note: The President's 60th news conference began at 1:40 p.m. in the 
State Room at Riga Castle. President Ulmanis spoke in Latvian, and his 
remarks were translated by an interpreter.