    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
    [June 12, 1996]
    [Pages 901-906]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's News Conference With European Union Leaders
    June 12, 1996

        President Clinton. I'm pleased to welcome Prime Minister Prodi of
    Italy and President Santer of the European Commission to the White
    House. This is the Prime Minister's first visit here since his election
    in May, and I'd like to congratulate him on his fast start in office.
    Let me also thank President Santer, who has worked with us so
    productively since he took office a year and a half ago.
        Last year the United States and our European partners agreed to work
    together to reap the benefits of this new era. Already we have seen some
    significant progress in our partnership in the last year. Most
    importantly, working with our NATO allies, we have helped to end the
    carnage in Bosnia.
        Friday marks the 6-month anniversary of the signing of the Dayton
    accords. Much remains to be done, but much has been done. There is
    peace; businesses are slowly starting again; and some refugees are
    returning home.
        I salute the European Union and its member states for their
    commitment to civilian reconstruction and for the $718 million they are
    devoting to this effort. Today we discussed Bosnia's recovery, and we
    agreed that for progress to continue, elections should take place in
    September as agreed at Dayton.
        The United States and the European Union are determined to carry
    forward this kind of leadership to seize other opportunities in the
    post-cold-war era. At our last meeting in Madrid 6 months ago, we took a
    step to achieve these goals by creating the new transatlantic agenda to
    address our common problems, including our continuing efforts to get a
    just and lasting peace in the Middle East, working more closely than
    ever to fight international crime and drug trafficking.
        In the next few months, in this area, let me say we expect to sign
    an agreement on controlling the chemicals used to make a broad range of
    illegal drugs. And this could be a very significant step if we can reach
    a good agreement and enforce it.
        Today we are announcing an ambitious new effort to fight infectious
    diseases. Recently, diseases that were disappearing have made a
    dangerous comeback. Diseases know no boundaries; they threaten us all.
    And now we'll work together to create a global early warning and
    response network so that we can move decisively against the health
    threats of the future. Just this morning the Vice President announced
    our initiative to make this a reality.
        The Transatlantic Business Dialogue is a forum of business leaders
    from both sides of the Atlantic devoting itself to helping bring down
    barriers and increase trade between the United States and European Union
    nations. Today let me especially thank two representatives of the
    Transatlantic Dialogue, Mr. Juergen Schrempp, the chairman of Daimler
    Benz, and Mr. John Luke, the chairman of Westvaco, for what they are
    doing and what the TABD has done. Thank you very much to both of you.
        We also are going to expand on this with a transatlantic labor
    dialog between unions from the United States and Europe who will begin
    work soon on issues concerning working men and women on both sides of
    the Atlantic.
        We can take pride that this transatlantic agenda has made a strong
    start. When we work together, we know we can meet the challenges of this
    time, and I am very much looking for-

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    ward to continuing to work with the Prime Minister and with President
    Santer. So I'd like to open the floor for a few comments by them, and
    then we'll answer your questions.
        Mr. Prime Minister.
        Prime Minister Prodi. Thank you. I thank you very much, Mr.
    President, for receiving us in the end of the semester chaired by Italy
    of the European Union.
        This has been a very effective semester. I don't want to repeat what
    you have already told concerning the deep and fruitful cooperation
    between the European Union and the United States. I want only to recall
    the example given in Bosnia. I think that we never had such a deep,
    strong, and fruitful cooperation in such a difficult job. And we have to
    go on in the field, and so the past must be linked with the future.
        You mentioned the problem of reconstruction. The European Union has
    already given more than $1.5 billion, and we need to collect more money
    and more help for reconstructing the former Yugoslavia area. Then we
    have to go on in the field of cooperation in the health, as you
    mentioned, and in the environment, with the example of working together
    in the Ukraine environmental program, and I think that this is an
    example why to work together.
        In the Transatlantic Business Dialogue, we are just harmonizing a
    lot of problems in order to decrease the nontariff barriers and to
    increase the trade between Europe and the United States. But the most
    important field of cooperation will be now in the Middle East policy.
    This is a chapter that needs not only political and military cooperation
    but needs a lot of help, mutual help, in economic terms. We can't solve
    the Middle East problems without a strong economic effort in the area.
        These are the main chapters of U.S.-European cooperation. And then I
    have to mention that this cooperation has never been so good, and I
    think it is a cornerstone of the world equilibrium. We have to stick
    together in the future because the challenge that comes from changing
    and the globalization of the economy is a challenge that must be won by
    strict cooperation between us.
        President Santer. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, today's
    summit has convinced me that we have a new, deeper, and more robust
    relationship between Europe and America than in the past. Today marks
    the first milestone in this new relationship.
        Last December we promised to act together, rather than just consult
    each other, in order to tackle crime, poverty, disease, and other global
    issues that concern ordinary people on both sides of the Atlantic. We
    have now started to turn these good intentions into concrete action.
        So how far have we got? You would not expect miracles in just 6
    months, but since December we have made a solid start. For example, we
    have set up a joint task force on communicable diseases. We are working
    on a deal that will help control trade in dangerous chemicals and
    illegal drugs. We have begun studying ways of cutting trade barriers,
    just as businessmen have asked us to do. And we have sent a joint
    mission to Rwanda and Burundi to assess the needs of the refugees there.
        The progress we can show today demonstrates that the highly visible
    disagreements we have had in the recent months over Cuba, Iran, Libya,
    and over trade policy represent a fraction of our overall relationship.
        This was not a Helms-Burton summit that some said it would be. But
    we did raise our concerns about the legislation in no uncertain terms
    with our American colleagues. The extraterritorial elements of this law
    have received worldwide condemnation. We are every bit as concerned
    about rogue states as the United States is. The European nations have
    fought terrorism at every opportunity, and will continue to do so. But
    this is a different issue. We do not believe it is justifiable or
    effective for one country to impose its tactics on others and to
    threaten to its friends while targeting its adversaries. If that is
    done, it is bound to lead to reactions which it is in the interest of us
    both to avoid.
        But despite these disagreements, today's proceedings have shown
    there is much more that binds us together than pulls us apart. And I am
    now convinced that we have a strong, strong enough relationship to speak
    our minds on issues which bother us without jeopardizing the vast range
    of things where we can and must work together to promote peace, freedom,
    and prosperity around the world.
        We must not be complacent. The relationship needs to be worked at.
    Let us never forget that Europe will always need America, and the world
    needs us to work together on its behalf.

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        Look at Bosnia, the Middle East, Russia, Rwanda, and Burundi, to
    name a few countries. And look at the global fight against crime, drugs,
    pollution, poverty, and disease. Look, too, at the world trading system,
    at the future of the NATO Alliance. All of these issues need
    transatlantic leadership. And the new transatlantic agenda has given us
    a solid framework on which to build this strong leadership. We have made
    a good start, but we need to go much further.
        Thank you.
        President Clinton. Thank you very much.
        Mr. Fournier [Ron Fournier, Associated Press].

    FBI Files of White House Passholders

        Q. On the domestic front, sir, three quick questions on the FBI file
    controversy, which Bob Dole has compared to Watergate tricks. Number
    one, when did you learn that the FBI files of Republicans had been
    requested and obtained by your White House? Two, who in the
    administration knew that they were requested and obtained? And lastly,
    how can you be so sure that this was just a bureaucratic snafu when the
    White House is not investigating it and Ken Starr is not finished?
        President Clinton. Well, first of all, you should have answers to
    some of your questions by the end of the week. The White House Counsel
    and the FBI are working together to review the process and to see what
    should be done to make sure it can't happen again, both in the White
    House and in the FBI. And I expect to get a report by the end of the
    week.
        I will say again, it appears to be nothing more than a bureaucratic
    snafu based on all of the evidence that I have seen. There is no
    evidence to the contrary. The first time I had learned about it was when
    there was a newspaper article about it, when it broke in the press. I
    knew nothing about it beforehand.
        Q. Who else in the White House knew about it before----
        President Clinton. I don't know that anyone did. I don't know
    anything other than what has been said to you by Mr. Panetta. He looked
    into it. He has all of the facts that any of us know. And so I--I would
    never condone or tolerate any kind of enemies list or anything of that
    kind. I think this is really an honest bureaucratic mess-up. There was a
    lot of--if you will remember going back to that time, there was a lot of
    interest in whether we had the right sort of credentialing here for
    access to the White House, and I think trying to review that is what
    gave rise to this whole thing.
        I do believe, based on the evidence that we know, it was just an
    innocent bureaucratic snafu, which is what I've said all along. And I'm
    sorry that it occurred, and I believe that we will correct it. And I
    think the FBI will correct it on their end as well so that nothing like
    this will happen again.
        I'd like now to recognize a European journalist. I'll try to
    alternate between the Americans and the Europeans.

    International Trade

        Q. Thank you. Mr. President, the Export Administration Act of 1979
    seems to contradict the Helms-Burton law because it does criticize
    secondary boycotts as a procedure. And that law was established to
    criticize Arab countries that were adopting secondary boycotts against
    Israel. So how do you reconcile this contradiction that seems to be
    happening with the United States at this point?
        And for Mr. Santer, China seems to be a strong target of trade
    sanctions from the United States. They are being considered now, and
    there is a complaint from the United States side that Europe has not
    done enough to help the United States in controlling China. What do you
    have to say to that? There was, yesterday, testimony in Congress
    criticizing directly and strongly Europe for this behavior.
        And finally, Mr. Prodi--[laughter]--STET is under direct attack--it
    is an Italian company--because of the Helms-Burton act. What are you
    doing to protect this Italian company?
        The President. Let me answer first. First of all, there's quite a
    difference between the generalized Arab boycott of Israel, which we have
    worked to bring to an end, simply because Israel existed, and the Helms-
    Burton bill, which provides the President some flexibility in its
    administration and which is directed against the only country remaining
    in our hemisphere which is not a democracy and which passed in the
    aftermath of Cuba's flagrant shooting-down of two airplanes, American
    airplanes, in international airspace and killing innocent civilians,
    most of whom were American citizens. And so the two things are entirely
    different.
        I'm very sensitive to the whole question of extraterritoriality. We
    are reviewing that. But we think that the Cuban--the persistent refusal
    of

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    Cuba to move toward democracy or openness and the particular problems
    that causes for countries in our hemisphere, and for the United States
    especially, justified the passage of the bill, which I signed into law.
        Now, they were asked questions, too. I hope they can remember.
        President Santer. The question about China--we have trade relations
    with China. That is not the normal way to go ahead--but I am not aware
    that there could be from our side some questioning about--that's
    incrimination on the European side. I do not know what are the causes
    for this incrimination. We are establishing our trading relation with
    China, as with other countries, on behalf of negotiations. And these
    negotiations have to come to an end, but otherwise, I do not see that
    there would be any harm done through the negotiation to the United
    States in this case.
        Prime Minister Prodi. Concerning the STET case, STET is an Italian
    telephone company who bought shares of a Mexican company owning shares
    of--having Cuban interest. And so they didn't even know about the Cuban
    interest. And so I limited myself to collect news and knowledge about
    the problem, and I think that in due time we shall try to defend our
    interest, because it is a very indirect involvement with Cuba. So I
    didn't even know about that.
        President Clinton. Helen [Helen Thomas, United Press International]?

    Bosnia

        Q. Mr. President, you agreed on an election to go forward in Bosnia
    in September. Did you also agree on the pullout date, to stick with
    December as the pullout date for the troops? And why is it that the
    troops don't go after Karadzic and Mladic and bring them before the
    world court? What's the holdup?
        I'd like also the other leaders----
        President Clinton. You might want to ask them that question, but let
    me say, we did not discuss the military operation today. We discussed
    basically the elections and the reconstruction effort.
        I believe that we should stick with our timetable. We believe that
    IFOR can complete its mission in about a year. We believe that it has to
    be in full force during the time of the elections. We believe that it
    has to be an effective military force certainly until December 20th, and
    then some drawdown can begin after that, below the level we think is
    necessary to maintain what we believe clearly is required for the
    election.
        On the other question you asked, I would remind you that when the
    IFOR mission went in, they went in with a certain very strict mission,
    and it did not include running down people who were suspected of war
    crimes, but it did include apprehending those with whom our forces came
    in contact. Now, I expect that in the--particularly in some regions
    where there's a lot of movement that has to occur back and forth between
    people trying to return home, visit their homes, visit their relatives,
    there will be more and more vigorous enforcement of that. And I expect
    that if the IFOR troops came in contact with Mr. Karadzic, they would do
    what they would do to anybody else suspected of being a war criminal.
        But there's never been part of their mission to go into specific
    communities with the mandate to arrest particular people. That was not
    part of the IFOR mission in the first place.
        Q. But who would be the culprits in this case? I mean, are you going
    to arrest the people who simply carried out orders?
        President Clinton. The IFOR troops can arrest anybody that's been
    charged with a war crime with whom they come in contact. But they are
    not charged with, in effect, being the domestic or the international
    police force and targeting people and going after them. That was not
    part of the agreement of Dayton, and it's a very delicate balance. I
    understand that. But they have arrested some people with whom they have
    come in contact, some people that they have found in the ordinary course
    of doing their jobs. And if that should happen in this case, I would
    expect them to do their duty.
        Do you want to add anything to that?
        President Santer. Mr. President, I have nothing to add to what you
    have said. After tomorrow there will be a conference, a Florence
    conference as implementation of the Dayton peace agreement. We have to
    stick to all of the parts of the Dayton peace agreement, as the
    President said. And I'm coming back from a journey to former Yugoslavia
    with Vice Prime Minister Dini, and to all our partners--we met the
    Presidents of all of the republics--we stated also that they have to
    stick to the implementation of the Dayton peace agreement in all the
    parts. And I think that the conference, the implemen-

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    tation conference of tomorrow in Florence would deal also with these
    subjects.

    NATO and Greece-Turkey Relations

        Q. Mr. President, two questions. One is, how do you see the U.S.
    role in the new defense NATO structure as it was agreed in Brussels? And
    secondly, there seems to be some heightened tension between Greece and
    Turkey. I wonder whether this was part of your discussion and whether
    you're personally concerned and whether you are going to take any
    initiative into this matter.
        President Clinton. First of all, I am strongly supportive of the
    general direction taken at the last conversations--at the last meeting
    in Brussels about the evolution of NATO and the possibility of a
    European security unit within NATO.
        I believe the United States should remain as a security partner, a
    political partner, and an economic partner of Europe. I believe that we
    need each other, and I believe the world needs our partnership. And I
    think NATO is a very important part of that. And how we manage the
    development of European security within NATO, how we manage the
    expansion of NATO--all of these are questions that we must resolve by
    working together in good faith. So I'm basically encouraged by what has
    been done so far.
        As to Greece and Turkey, we did not have the opportunity to discuss
    it, but I can tell you that I am very concerned about it. Both those
    nations are our allies and Europe's allies through NATO, and I believe
    that the future of the region which they both occupy will be
    immeasurably brighter if they can resolve their problems and
    immeasurably darker if they cannot.
        And so it's a source of great concern to me, and we have invested
    quite a bit of time on it in the last few months, and I expect to invest
    even more time on it in the months and, if the people decide, in the
    years ahead. I think it's very important--the resolution of the
    difficulties between Greece and Turkey is central to having the kind of
    future for Europe and particularly for the Mediterranean region that we
    want.
        Yes, Brian [Brian Williams, NBC News]?

    Church Burnings in the South

        Q. Dick Armey criticized the trip you took today to talk about the
    church burnings in the South, and late today Haley Barbour criticized it
    as well, saying that at best your motives were political. I wonder if
    you have a reaction to that.
        President Clinton. I think you ought to ask those people that were
    out on that country road in South Carolina today, the people that
    rebuilt their church, or that pastor that came up from North Carolina
    who just lost his church. I don't believe they think this is a political
    issue, and I don't think that our country is well served by turning into
    politics what is a very important matter. We should be united together
    across political and racial and religious lines in our determination not
    only to find the people responsible for burning these churches--and one
    mosque also, I might add--but also in sort of pushing back on this
    extremist impulse, this racist impulse which seems to be at least
    manifesting itself among some people who are involved in these church
    burnings.
        So I think that's what we ought to be talking about: what, as
    Americans, our responsibilities are to stand up against racism, to stand
    up against the desecration of houses of worship. And we should not turn
    this into a political issue; it isn't political, and it isn't partisan.
        Press Secretary Mike McCurry. This will be the last question.

    Italian Separatist Movement

        Q. Mr. President, you've often mentioned that you like Italy very
    much, and perhaps you are going to repeat the same thing to Mr. Prodi
    afterwards in your bilateral. What about if there were not one but two
    Italys, and I'm referring specifically to this possibility of a----
        Prime Minister Prodi. One is enough. [Laughter]
        Q. ----of a secession, you know, the one in Canada, whatever.
        President Clinton. Well, I took a position on the one in Canada, and
    I don't think I had much to do with the outcome. It was a very close
    race there. But we take no position about the internal affairs of other
    nations. But I thought what the Prime Minister said made a lot of sense:
    One seems to be enough.
        In America, we've tolerated a North and a South for quite a long
    time now. And we tried to split up once, and it didn't work out so well,
    and I wouldn't recommend it to anybody. I think, you know, you just--
    [laughter]--it's better to try to just resolve your difficulties and go
    on.

    [[Page 906]]

        Thank you very much.

    Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott

        Q. What do you think of Trent Lott taking over?
        President Clinton. Congratulations to him.

    Note: The President's 124th news conference began at 4:05 p.m. in Room
    450 of the Old Executive Office Building. The President met with Prime
    Minister Romano Prodi of Italy, President of the European Council, and
    Jacques Santer, President of the European Commission. During the news
    conference, the following persons were referred to: Bosnian Serb leaders
    Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic; and Vice Prime Minister Lamberto Dini
    of Italy. A reporter referred to the Societa Finanziaria Telefonica,
    S.p.A. (STET), an Italian telephone company.