[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
[July 8, 1996]
[Pages 1081-1082]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 1081]]


Remarks Prior to Discussions With President Aleksander Kwasniewski of 
Poland and an Exchange With Reporters
July 8, 1996

    President Clinton. Let me begin by saying I'm delighted to welcome 
President Kwasniewski to Washington and to the Oval Office, and I want 
to thank him for the hospitality that he extended to the First Lady a 
few days ago.
    The United States and Poland have established a strong partnership. 
We've worked together in the Partnership For Peace. Our troops are 
serving together in Bosnia. We are the number one foreign investor in 
Poland. And I am very pleased with the state of our relations and the 
aggressive leadership that the President is giving to his nation.
    We're going to discuss a lot of issues that are affecting our future 
relations and the future of Poland, including the question of NATO 
enlargement, which has been a disciplined, open process since 1994 now, 
since the United States initiated it. And I want to reiterate my 
conviction that the process will continue and will bear fruit in the way 
that we have done it. I think that we are doing it in the right way, and 
that's the way I think we should continue to do it.
    But I'm looking forward to our discussion. I've wanted to meet him 
for some time, and I got a great report on Poland from Hillary the other 
night, so I'm looking forward to it.

NATO Expansion

    Q. Mr. President, will you talk about the timing? As you say, this 
has been going on since 1994. Will you talk about the timing of NATO 
expansion?
    President Clinton. We will. Certainly we will. We'll talk about what 
is planned for the December ministerial and what will happen after that.
    Q. Senator Dole has talked about 1998. Are you willing to be as 
precise as that?
    President Clinton. Well, first of all, I'm glad that he supports the 
expansion of NATO. And secondly, I think it's important for me as 
President to adhere in all my public comments to the things that we've 
agreed among our NATO allies to do. Keep in mind, this is a process that 
has to proceed by consensus, and we have to have the support of all the 
allies to do what we wish to do. So, I will continue to say what I have 
said all along. But you should make no mistake about it, NATO will 
expand.

Former Governor Richard Lamm of Colorado

    Q. President Clinton, it looks like here in the United States, 
Governor Lamm is going--former Governor Lamm is going to enter the 
Presidential race. I wonder what your sense of that is and whether 
you're worried that it might erode some of your support?
    President Clinton. I just don't know. I've known him a long time. I 
like him. And I hope if that happens--hope his wife will do what she 
said she was going to do. [Laughter] Did you see what she said?
    Q. Which was what?
    President Clinton. That she'd be for me if she thought it would 
undermine our position in the election. [Laughter] I like him very much, 
and he'll have to do whatever he wants to do. And I hope we have a good, 
positive debate.
    Q. Are you surprised that someone who is supposed to be a friend of 
yours would enter the election?
    President Clinton. No.

Airplane Hijacking in Cuba

    Q. A Cuban plane has just been hijacked to the U.S. Navy base in 
Guantanamo Bay. What is your reaction to that?
    President Clinton. I understand the passengers have been returned, 
and the pilot stayed. And as far as I know, there was no further 
incident.
    Q. Thank you.

[At this point, one group of reporters left the room, and another group 
entered.]

Poland and NATO Expansion

    Q. Mr. President, have you proposed any new timetable for NATO 
expansion?
    President Clinton. Let me, first of all, welcome President 
Kwasniewski to the White House and to the Oval Office. And I want to 
thank him for the warm hospitality extended to my wife last week. She 
had a wonderful trip to Poland and has given me a great report on it.

[[Page 1082]]

    We are going to discuss NATO enlargement and a number of other 
things. As to that, I want to emphasize that the United States secured 
the agreement of our allies in NATO to expand NATO, and we did it under 
circumstances where we agreed that we would follow a certain deliberate 
process. We will do that. We will probably take some further steps on 
that when the ministerial meets in December. I'm certain that more 
action will be taken there. But the important thing is that NATO is 
going to expand and we're going to do it in a deliberate fashion, in an 
open fashion, as we have said all along.
    The second thing I'd like to say is I'm very pleased with our 
present level of cooperation. I appreciate the service of Polish troops 
in Bosnia. I appreciate the participation of Poland in the Partnership 
For Peace. And our economic relations are growing stronger every day, 
and I'm very pleased with the level of investment of the United States 
in Poland. I hope we will be able to continue that.
    I'd like to ask the President to make a statement, and then we'll 
answer your questions.
    President Kwasniewski. Well, you understand Polish a little bit, for 
after so many years in the United States you speak English early.

[At this point, President Kwasniewski continued speaking in Polish, and 
a translation was not provided.]

    Q. Mr. President, when are you going to say who and when will be 
admitted as new members of NATO?
    President Clinton. Well, that's what we're going to discuss in 
December. But I know it is something that is sometimes perhaps 
frustrating to you, but you have to realize, NATO is a group that 
operates together. And a NATO pledge is a solemn pledge; it's a security 
pledge. And one of the ways that we have secured agreement from all of 
our allies with all the various factors involved to expand NATO is that 
we have worked with them together in a very deliberate fashion.
    So our next meeting is in December. I think further steps will be 
taken in December. And I think that is what I should say at this point, 
consistent with my obligation to them.

Note: The President spoke at 11:31 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Dorothy Lamm, wife of Richard 
Lamm. A tape was not available for verification of the content of these 
remarks.