    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book I)]
    [February 9, 1995]
    [Pages 181-187]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's News Conference With Chancellor Helmut Kohl of Germany
    February 9, 1995

        The President. Good afternoon. Please be seated. It's a pleasure for
    me to welcome Chancellor Kohl to the White House again. For more than 12
    years American Presidents have looked to Helmut Kohl for insight and
    cooperation, for friendship and support on the most pressing issues of
    the day. Thanks to his wisdom and leadership, the relationship between
    Germany and the United States has strengthened and grown, becoming a
    force for positive change in the post-cold-war world. America has no
    better friend than Chancellor Kohl.
        The Chancellor's visit comes at an important time. One of the most
    vital issues we discussed today is building a more integrated Europe in
    the wake of this new era. The Chancellor and I reaffirmed our intention
    to press ahead with the enlargement of NATO to include Europe's new
    democracies. The current deliberations are moving at the right pace. We
    agreed that the inevitable process of NATO expansion will be gradual and
    open, that there will be no surprises. Its conditions, timing, and
    military implications must be well and widely known in advance.
        We also agreed that in parallel with expansion, NATO must develop
    close and strong ties with Russia. Chancellor Kohl and I will consult
    closely on the form this new partnership will take. We share a vision of
    European security that embraces a democratic Russia, and we will
    continue to reassure President Yeltsin that an expanded NATO will pose
    no threat to a democratic Russia.
        Recent events in Russia were an important part of our discussions
    today, especially the tragedy in Chechnya. Chancellor Kohl and I are in
    full agreement: The violence there must end, and negotiation must begin.
    Every day the fighting continues, more innocent civilians fall victim.
    In response to international appeals, the United States will offer up to
    $20 million in humanitarian and refugee assistance to alleviate their
    distress.
        In our conversations with President Yeltsin, we have both made clear
    our fears about the corrosive effect the conflict in Chechnya can have
    on democratic, market-oriented reform in the Russian Republic. But the
    conflict has not changed the nature of our interests, namely that
    Russia's efforts to become a stable, democratic nation must succeed.
        Today the Chancellor and I remain determined to stick to our course
    of patient, responsible support for Russian reform. But help can only be
    extended if Russia stays on the course and continues the hard work of
    building demo-

    [[Page 182]]

    cratic institutions and implementing market-oriented reforms.
        The Chancellor and I also discussed a broad range of other issues,
    including our efforts through the Contact Group to reach a negotiated
    settlement in Bosnia. Both of us believe it's essential to do what we
    can to support the Muslim-Croat Federation, which ended hostilities
    between two of the three parties to that conflict. We believe that
    strengthening the Federation will provide a concrete, positive step
    toward an eventual peace agreement.
        I also want to thank the Chancellor publicly for Germany's role in
    assembling the stabilization package for Mexico, which helped to avert a
    larger and far more dangerous financial crisis. The Chancellor and I
    support efforts in the G-7 to review our international institutions, a
    necessary step to ensure that they are fit for the challenges of the
    next half century.
        Finally, we're in full agreement that the United Nations should not
    lift sanctions on Iraq until that country meets all the conditions set
    forth in the U.N. resolutions, something so far Iraq has failed to do.
        As you can see, in a short time we covered a great deal of ground.
    Once again we've discovered much common ground. Our nations share a
    vision of an integrated Europe, of strong bonds across the Atlantic, of
    a world that continues to grow more peaceful and more prosperous. Our
    agenda is ambitious, and the tasks ahead are not small. But I'm
    convinced that working together we will be equal to the challenge.
        Chancellor.
        Chancellor Kohl. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Mr. President,
    ladies and gentlemen: Permit me to preface my actual statement by a
    brief remark. What I'd like to do, Mr. President, is to offer my special
    respect and my special condolences to you, Mr. President, and to the
    American people on the occasion of the death of Senator Fulbright. I'm
    saying this as a member of a generation who, even when they were
    students, wanted nothing more than to obtain a Fulbright scholarship.
    Few men and women who enter politics ever succeed to have their names
    affiliated once and for all with a specific program. For many Germans,
    for many Europeans, Senator Fulbright was a man who we did not know
    personally, but he was someone who gave a signal after the Second World
    War and after the end of the Nazi barbarism--and I'm saying this very
    pointedly this year, when on May 8th we will be looking back to 50
    years--the name that was closely related with openness, with friendship,
    and with people striving together. I think it's only fitting that I, the
    German Chancellor, being here today, should offer my condolences as I
    just did.
         Mr. President, thank you and thank your staff, especially the Vice
    President, for the very warm and cordial reception we were given, as
    usual. These talks, which many might find boring, are talks which took
    place once again in an exceedingly friendly and warm atmosphere. And we
    aren't done with them; we will be continuing them. These talks of ours
    make a great deal of sense, even though we do talk on the phone
    regularly and frequently. But there's a difference between telephone
    conversations and conversations eye to eye. And that is why I am
    especially happy to be able, once again, to be here in Washington with
    my delegation.
        I need not add much to what the President said in his preface. We
    are in full agreement as far as the topics and our views on them are
    concerned. It's very important to me, personally, to make very clear in
    public for the benefit of all Americans that the German policy and the
    policy that I, as the Federal Chancellor, am pursuing be proceeding in
    close coordination with the President of the United States.
        We are living in radically changing times, times of dramatic
    changes; everybody knows that. We are finding out today that Germany is
    increasingly feeling how the situation has changed. Many of our
    countrymen no longer live under a regime that subjugated them for 40
    years, and at this point, the question of stability is more urgent than
    ever before. And that is why to us, the Germans and the Europeans, NATO
    and the transatlantic security alliance with the United States be
    preserved because they guarantee our future.
        This alliance is one that in a changing world will increasingly have
    to shoulder responsibility for stability throughout Europe. I fully
    agree with President Clinton in that the preparatory work for extension
    of NATO we should proceed in accordance with the program we outlined in
    Brussels last year. It is a gradual process, and when I say gradual, I
    mean step by step. It's entirely possible that some of these steps will
    be larger than others.
        It is a process which we in Europe and in Germany will possibly be
    doing in parallel with

    [[Page 183]]

    the full expansion of the European Union, although they are not directly
    connected. The expansion of NATO is part of an overall security concept
    which is intended to make sure that we do not get new boundaries within
    Europe, and that is why a close partnership with Russia and Ukraine is
    especially important. NATO and the European Union have to combine their
    strengths, to combine their forces in pursuit of the common goal that we
    have with a view to what used to be called, in a simplified fashion, the
    Warsaw Pact countries. We must join forces to further democracy in the
    Central and Eastern European countries. And I want to urge everyone here
    to realize that this process will require a great deal of patience.
        As a German, I am more aware than others how difficult it is to take
    a country where people speak the same language and bring two parts of it
    together after 40 years of complete isolation. I know the
    misunderstandings that can arise on simple, everyday matters. And if I
    try to imagine, and by God I do, what it means that since 1917 Russians
    lived under the Communists--being aware that the Romanovs weren't
    exactly a picnic either--when you look at all these facts, you can
    appreciate how difficult the process is that is going on in Russia at
    this time.
        And since that is the case, we agreed, the President and I and our
    governments are agreed, that we should encourage Russia to pursue the
    course of reform. What that means is that we have a vital interest--the
    Germans in particular, because we are close neighbors--we have an
    elemental interest in furthering reforms and cooperating with Russia.
        I would like to underline that I still support President Yeltsin, as
    I've always done. And I do it with the objective of enabling reforms in
    Russia, enable them to introduce market economy and create a state based
    on the rule of law. As I say that, I'm stating very clearly that we will
    support Russia in its legitimate efforts to preserve the territorial
    integrity of its country, but that does require that Russia also stand
    by its commitments in the area of human rights and other international
    standards that they have committed themselves to, making Russia a
    country open to reform.
        I support what the President said regarding events in Chechnya, but
    let me add that our shared wish is to have a peaceful situation, in the
    best sense of the word, return to Chechnya. We wish for the authorities
    in that country to pursue their responsibilities in the manner I tried
    to outline just now.
        And now, let me state very briefly that we are in full agreement
    that we all must try to diminish and end the horrible suffering of
    people there. We shall jointly pursue that matter. It's an area where
    hundreds of years of histories have led to the situation that we have
    now, but that shouldn't discourage us. We must do the best we can. Time
    is running out. Winter will soon be over. That means at the end of
    winter, which generally has a paralyzing effect on fighting, the full
    armed conflict might once again rear its head in that area. There is no
    alternative to the combined efforts of the Americans and the Europeans
    in the Bosnian area.
        Thank you very much, Mr. President, for the kind welcome you have
    extended to us. And now both of us, as we are required, are looking
    forward to the many questions that you will doubtless have.
        The President. Let me say just before I recognize the first
    question, I'd like to thank the Chancellor for his expressions. I think
    he could speak not only for the people of Germany but for the--largely,
    for the people of the rest of the world, of condolences on the death of
    Senator Fulbright.
        As many of you know, this is a sad day for me personally. We'd been
    friends for more than 25 years. And I'm just profoundly grateful today
    for the conviction that he imparted to me when I was a young man that we
    could make peace in the world if we seek better understanding, if we
    promote the exchanges among people, if we advance the cause of global
    education. And for what you said, Chancellor, I am very grateful.

    Surgeon General Nominee Foster

        Q. Mr. President, how do you respond to criticism from Republicans
    and Democrats that the White House badly fumbled Dr. Foster's
    nomination? And how can you convince skeptical Senators about his
    credibility and allay their concerns about his abortion--[inaudible]?
        The President. Well, first of all, I think the question about how it
    was handled was answered yesterday as well as can be answered. Dr.
    Foster represented himself last night on television, I thought, rather
    well.
        I have confidence in him. I do not believe that anything I have
    heard about him disquali-

    [[Page 184]]

    fies him from serving as Surgeon General. It is, it seems to me, an
    unfair characterization, but perhaps too typical of the appointments
    process generally, to try to define him in the way that those who
    believe that all abortions should be criminal have tried to define him.
    I mean, here's a man who's delivered thousands and thousands and
    thousands of babies and devoted the rest of his time in the last several
    years to trying to end the scourge of teen pregnancy and illegitimacy in
    our country and thereby to reduce the number of abortions and to solve
    one of our most profound problems.
        He was recognized by President Bush for that effort. He has been
    endorsed by Dr. Sullivan, the HHS Director in the Bush administration,
    as well as by a host of others. I have confidence in him. I think he's a
    good man. I think he'll be a good Surgeon General. And I think that that
    ought to be the issue.
        And I do not believe that we should be under any illusion here. This
    is the--the Senate will have an opportunity to decide on his
    qualifications and his life and his work. And I think to allow a man
    like this who has lived the life he has and has garnered the
    endorsements he has from the people who have known him and worked with
    him of both parties for 40 years would be a grave mistake.
        I support him. I want him to have his hearings. I believe the Senate
    will support him. And I think we should not back away from this.
        Now, I know that those who believe that we should abolish the right
    to choose and make conduct which is now legal, criminal, will try to
    seize upon this nomination to negate the work of a man's life and define
    him in cardboard cut-out terms, but I think that is wrong. And I am for
    him, and I think the American people will be for him when they hear him.

    Russia

        Q. Chancellor, Mr. President--[inaudible]--President Yeltsin, after
    the events in Chechnya, as being a stable force and a trustworthy
    partner for peace?
        Chancellor Kohl. Well, you know, I am probably just as much as
    anyone in the world not able to actually make any predictions, any safe
    predictions, about the future of the Russian country or about the office
    of the President of Russia. It's a dramatic--it's a country that
    currently undergoes dramatic changes. And I tried to explain this in my
    introductory remarks. And my position and the position, I believe, of
    the President is rather easily defined. We--I personally have
    experienced Boris Yeltsin as a man on whom one can rely absolutely, as a
    man who, to the last dotting of the ``i's'' and crossing of the ``t's,''
    has fulfilled his obligations. When they withdrew the Soviet troops from
    Germany, he completely adhered to what he promised. And obviously I know
    that in Russian military circles there were quite different forces at
    work at the time. Still, they kept their promises.
        And I believe that in supporting him and in showing a spirit of
    friendship towards him, we should not only see support for reforms and
    the building of democracy, the building of the economy, introducing the
    rule of law, but this friendship should also give us the right to tell
    him quite clearly that he must not deceive our hopes and that, although
    we do have understanding, a certain amount of understanding for certain
    setbacks occurring, but still reforms have to go on.
        And I'm saying this not in the sense of actually making any
    conditions, but for me at least, that would be a prerequisite for
    continuing support of the aims that he pursues, democracy and rule of
    law and all of that. There are people who consider themselves to be
    particularly intelligent and particularly wise and who now say, ``Well,
    it can't work, so let's not get involved in that.'' Then there are other
    people, and they exist also in Germany, they think to be even more
    intransigent; they think they can ride this wave of disappointment, of
    bitterness, in view of the pictures that are related to us every day
    from Chechnya and who want to push this man into a corner and want to
    deal with this matter quite differently. I can only warn people to adopt
    such a course.
        I don't know whether what I'm suggesting here today will be
    successful, but I'm absolutely sure, absolutely convinced that if we
    were to push the forces of reform and the President into a corner,
    isolate them, and say, ``We give up on you. There's nothing that we can
    do here,'' that this will immediately bring us back to the old, bad
    structures of the past. And I don't want in a few years ahead to be
    facing the accusation that had we acted in time and reasonably, we could
    have prevented this.
        The President. I have confidence in President Yeltsin. Every time he
    has given me his word, he has done what he said he would do, with

    [[Page 185]]

    drawing troops from the Balkans, for example--I mean, from the Baltics,
    and carrying through on all of our nuclear agreements, and all the
    things that we have worked on.
        I think that all of us knew--and before I met with Boris Yeltsin the
    first time in April of '93, the first time I'd met with him as
    President, I tried to caution everyone that Russia was facing a
    difficult and a challenging period, the road would not always be even,
    and we wouldn't always agree with every decision that was made and
    everything that happened. But should we continue to work with President
    Yeltsin and to support democracy and reform and to say honestly where we
    have concerns and disagreements? I think that's what mature countries
    do. And that's what people who are struggling for a goal like democracy
    where it has long been denied and prosperity and reform where it has
    long been absent, that's what people have to do. You have to be willing
    to deal with the rough spots in the road, say where you disagree and
    stay on course. And the United States and Germany must do that. We have
    to keep on course. And I believe we're doing the right thing.
        Helen [Helen Thomas, United Press International].

    Welfare Reform

        Q. Mr. President, there is a Republican move afoot on Capitol Hill
    to deny the disadvantaged who now receive welfare benefits their
    guaranteed benefits. What do you think of that and all of the other
    moves that are--would deny rights under the Constitution against
    searches without a warrant, repealing the crime bill, not guaranteeing
    there won't be cuts with the balanced budget--what does all this mean?
        The President. It's hard to know what it means. No bill has passed
    yet, but there's been a lot of moving around. I said yesterday in this
    room what I thought about the crime bill, and I had--all the law
    enforcement officers in the country were symbolically represented here.
    We don't believe it should be changed in ways that weaken our commitment
    to putting 100,000 police on the street, and basically spend more money
    on prisons and less money on police and prevention.
        With regard to the welfare reform, I think that I owe it to them to
    review the substance of the bill, and I will. You know what my position
    is. My position is we should change the system in ways that promote more
    work, more responsible parenting, give more flexibility to the States
    but have a strong, strong protection for the interests and welfare of
    the children of this country. There is a national interest in making
    sure that the food, the nutrition, the health care of the children of
    this country are protected. That is not a State-by-State interest; that
    is a national interest. Now, I'm willing to go a long way toward letting
    the States implement and design their own welfare reform programs. We
    should.
        The other issue I want to--I didn't see in the summary today is that
    the Republican Governors were very strong in saying that they did think
    the one area where we needed stronger national action was in the area of
    child support enforcement, that the States were not capable of having
    the kind of tough child support enforcement that we need because fully
    more than a third of the orders today that are not enforced involve more
    than one State.
        So I want to review all these details, but I think, let's keep the
    principles in mind. I will evaluate their proposal by those principles.
    And if it promotes work and family and protects children, then I will be
    favorable toward it, even with a lot more flexibility to the States; I
    want that. But I want all those criteria protected. So I'm going to have
    to look very closely on the, it sounds to me like on the child
    protection issue, and I will do that.

    Mexican Loan Guarantees

        Q. Chancellor Kohl, you did not respond to President Clinton's
    comments about aid to Mexico. Now, your government's representative at
    the IMF abstained on the vote last week extending $17.8 billion in
    credits to Mexico. Are you now satisfied with the way the Clinton
    administration handled the multilateral aid package, and do you have
    assurances that in the future you'll be consulted more extensively?
        The President. I thought you were a German on that side. [Laughter]
    Go ahead.
        Chancellor Kohl. I am content. I'm satisfied with the result. After
    all, we did agree on the road to that decision one or the other hurdle
    could have been taken more elegantly. But, you know, these kinds of
    things happen, once we sway to one side, once we sway to--another time
    be swayed to another. If you want to try and drive a wedge between us on
    this question, you're not going to be successful.

    [[Page 186]]

    Bosnia

        Q. Mr. President, in a couple of weeks Congress is probably going to
    vote to lift the arms embargo against Bosnia. If such a demand comes up,
    will you comply with it? Will you change your policy? And Chancellor, if
    the Congress votes to lift the arms embargo, what will be the reaction
    of Germany and what will be the reaction of the Europeans?
        Chancellor Kohl. Well, I think we should talk about that when we get
    that decision. Today, I'm going to be on the Hill. Later on I shall be
    talking to Senators and Congressmen, and I'm going to advise that we do
    as much together as we can, that we closely coordinate things.
        The President. I'm not sure that's going to happen. I certainly
    don't think it should happen. You know what my position is.

    North Korea

        Q. Mr. President, there are some reports that the nuclear agreement
    with North Korea is beginning to unravel. Is that the case? And are you
    confident that it can go forward as you had originally----
        The President. Absolutely. I'm under--I have no information that
    it's beginning to unravel. And I think it can go forward. I think it
    should go forward. I think it must go forward. It is a major part of our
    strategy to protect the world from nuclear proliferation. And I feel
    very strongly about it. We must go forward.
        Is there a German question?

    World Bank

        Q. Mr. Chancellor, President Clinton talked about reviewing the
    tasks of the international institutions. Following the difficulties here
    you mentioned regarding the Mexico package, do you think the Federal
    Republic is going to insist on reviewing the credit lines and the credit
    award lines at the World Bank?
        Chancellor Kohl. I'm in favor of that, not simply because of this
    particular experience; I think we should review our work from time to
    time at regular intervals. I hope that we'll be dealing with a very
    peaceful problem when you talk about financing developments in the
    Middle East. That's one example which I do hope will turn into a really
    peaceful challenge for us, assuming the peace process actually succeeds.
    Other than that, I'd be willing to stop and think at every stage whether
    the structures we had hitherto been using are the best ones.
        Let me add that these are things one has to talk about. They need
    not be announced to the public before coordination has been achieved. We
    should simply talk to one another.

    Terrorism

        Q. Mr. President, what can you tell us about the arrest of this
    terrorist suspect in Pakistan? And what are the ramifications, in your
    opinion, for terrorist cells or networks or the breakup of these groups
    here in the United States and abroad?
        The President. I can tell you that I'm very pleased about it, and
    that--obviously, there are some things that are better left unsaid, but
    I would refer back to the statement that I issued. This country is
    serious about combating terrorism. We are going to put a lot of
    resources and effort into it. The Attorney General today is releasing
    the legislation that we are sending to the Hill that we very much hope
    will pass with bipartisan support. And this should be further evidence
    that we take this problem very seriously, for ourselves, and for our
    friends, and the friends of freedom around the world. And we continue to
    stay after it. And I'm very pleased about it.
        Q. Will his arrest, sir, to follow up, lead to the possible breakup
    of other groups here in the States or abroad?
        The President. I think that it is better that I not say anything
    else about his arrest other than what has already been in the paper at
    this time.
        Is there another German question?
        Q. Can I follow up on that?
        The President. Yes, sir. The normally suave and confident--
    [laughter]--is suffering technology breakdown. [Laughter]

    German Exports to Iran

        Q. Mr. Chancellor, they couldn't drive a wedge between you and the
    President in Mexico. How about on Germany's exports to Iran? There are
    growing concerns, you know, among U.S. officials that Germany may be
    doing with Iran what it did with Iraq before the Gulf war, inadvertently
    helping it develop weapons of mass destruction. Is Germany involved? Are
    you taking another look at some of the exports that you're providing to
    Iran, which has been accused, as you know, by the United States as being
    a source of international terrorism? And

    [[Page 187]]

    President Clinton, how concerned are you about Germany's exports to
    Iran?
        Chancellor Kohl. First of all, I think your statement is incorrect.
    What you just said about Iraq is wrong. If you read the complete report
    that came out, not just the little passage about Germany, then you'll
    find that Germany was not number one. I know that this rumor is cropping
    up in Washington time and again, but I'd like to use this opportunity to
    say that that is wrong.
        As far as Iran specifically is concerned, we are in agreement. We
    are not willing to support any policy in Iran which might entail the
    danger of fundamentalism, which to me is one of the greatest dangers we
    are facing today. We are not willing to add any support to
    fundamentalism. We have cut back economic relations with Iran
    considerably. Those were longstanding relations which we have cut back
    considerably.
        And if I'm not mistaken, Time magazine, being a respectable news
    magazine, has said quite a number of things this week about American oil
    companies, not German oil companies, mind you. And if you take a look,
    you'll have to conclude that these oil companies export into other
    countries, not our country.
        We feel that, with a view to the peace process in the Middle East in
    which we, as Germans, have a special interest, a process in regard to
    which we fully support the President's policy in wanting that process to
    succeed, that this is a very important step indeed. We're talking about
    Israel here, among other things. And if a German Chancellor, 50 years
    after Auschwitz, talks about Israel, you may believe him when he says
    that he has a great interest in that process being successful and that
    we would not dream of supporting any policy in any part of the world
    which might in any way impede Israel's prospects for a peaceful future.
    And that is why we are most certainly going to act along the lines I
    pointed out in regard to economic relations as well.
        We are in a somewhat different situation because, following the
    developments of the past years, we have become a country that has very
    few regulatory controls, that is quite open to the outside. And in the
    past--and this has, time and again, been our problem, also vis-a-vis
    Iraq--we have been one of the major suppliers of chemical products
    because we had a superb chemical industry. And then we time and again
    got a situation where one of those chemical companies supplied a
    product, exported a product that could be used for many purposes, mostly
    of course for peaceful purposes but which could be abused, which could
    be misused and used for other purposes.
        I talked to German industry and we agreed that we would do
    everything we can in order to make diversion impossible. Or to put it
    differently, we are not talking simply about law enforcement here; we
    are going to make sure that the reputation of our country is not
    damaged. So it's not only a matter of criminal pursuits but it's a
    matter of maintaining our country's reputation, which I find important.

    Note: The President's 85th news conference began at 1 p.m. in Room 450
    of the Old Executive Office Building. In his remarks, he referred to
    Ramzi Ahmed Yusuf, alleged mastermind of the 1993 bombing of the World
    Trade Center in New York City. Chancellor Kohl spoke in German, and his
    remarks were translated by an interpreter.