[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
[September 9, 1996]
[Pages 1514-1516]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks Prior to Discussions With Prime Minister John Bruton of Ireland 
and an Exchange With Reporters
September 9, 1996

    The President. I'm delighted to have the Taoiseach here today and a 
good day: The talks began again today. Senator Mitchell is over in 
Belfast, and I just want to talk to him about where we go from here.
    Also, I want to note that Ireland is assuming the Presidency of the 
European Union, and we have a lot of common interests there, a lot of 
things we have to work on together, including our common interest in the 
worldwide fight against narcotics trafficking, and so we'll have lots to 
talk about, and I'm glad to have you here, sir.
    Prime Minister Bruton. Thanks very much, indeed. Well, the talks 
have gotten off to a very good start in Belfast today. Obviously, we'd 
like to see an IRA cease-fire, because as long as the threat of violence 
is there, the negotiations are not going to work as fully as they need 
to.
    Also, I'll be awaiting the opportunity to talk to the President 
about European Union business. As the President has said, we need to 
cooperate to combat drug trafficking, and we also need, I think, more 
business cooperation between Europe and North America, and the United 
States in particular, and I have certain ideas I'll be putting forth to 
the President on that matter.

Northern Ireland Peace Process

    Q. Mr. President, at this point, do you really see any advance in 
the talks? I know they started in June, but it doesn't really seem like 
they've gone very far.
    The President. I would go back to what the Prime Minister said: We'd 
like to see a cease-fire restored. But I think that actually, we do have 
a chance to make some progress in these talks, and that's one of the 
things we're going to talk about here.
    We're always better off when they're talking than when they're not, 
and I can see circumstances under which we can make some real progress 
there if we got one or two good breaks, so we're going to keep working.

[[Page 1515]]

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

Prime Minister Bruton's Visit

    The President. Let me just, first of all, welcome you all here and 
say that I am deeply honored, as always, to have the Taoiseach here, 
coming especially as he does today as the talks have opened again in 
Belfast. I'm looking forward to hearing his ideas about where we go from 
here and any suggestions he has about how the United States can help.
    I also want to talk about the work we can do together, as Ireland 
assumes the Presidency of the European Union, on international narcotics 
trafficking and any number of other issues. I have a very, very high 
regard for the Prime Minister for his leadership for what he has tried 
to do for the cause of peace in Northern Ireland, and I'm really looking 
forward to having this chance to visit with him.
    Prime Minister Bruton. Thank you very much. Obviously, I'll be 
updating the President on the talks in Belfast, which have gotten off to 
a very good start today. It's important that they should move as quickly 
as possible to discussing the substantial issues that they were set up 
to deal with, having dealt with the procedure and questions, which are 
very important but which I think can be dealt with quite quickly at this 
point.
    Also, I will be talking to the President in my capacity as President 
of the European Union and putting forward some ideas to him on closer 
business cooperation across the North Atlantic. And I will also be 
anxious to bring to agreement proposals that are in discussion about 
closer cooperation to combat the international drugs trade, both in the 
Caribbean area and in regard to what are known as precursors, which are 
chemicals which are used in the manufacture of drugs. I think we need 
cooperation between the European Union and the United States if we're to 
combat this menace at its source.

Northern Ireland Peace Process

    Q. Mr. President, if I may ask you, sir, Mike McCurry told us today 
that you chose to be optimistic about the prospects for peace. Can you 
tell us how you can possibly be optimistic at the moment and how 
optimistic you might be, for instance, of a new IRA cease-fire?
    The President. Well, I want to talk to the Prime Minister about 
that. I think there should be a restoration of the cease-fire so that 
everyone who needs to be in the talks can be a part of them. But the 
thing that makes me optimistic is the clear interest that the people, 
all the people in Northern Ireland have in a successful resolution of 
this and their evident desire for it, which I saw so clearly last year.
    And of course, unfortunately the people have already paid a price 
this year in the fact that when the cease-fire was lost and things 
seemed to be drifting in the wrong direction, it was costly in terms of 
tourists, in terms of business investment.
    So I just believe that we're still on the right side of history, and 
I can also see the development of events in a way that would make it 
possible for us to make some real progress. But they're just beginning. 
I have a lot of confidence in Senator Mitchell and the team there, but 
mostly I believe the people of Northern Ireland want peace, and I think 
the determination of the Irish Government and also the British 
Government, Prime Minister Major's government, to try to work to create 
conditions in which peace can be developed, I think those things make me 
optimistic.
    Prime Minister Bruton. I'd like to add, if I may, that I think it's 
very important that we do have an IRA cease-fire, because we're not 
going to have a truly heartfelt and enduring agreement as long as the 
threat of violence continues.
    Q. Mr. President, do you believe that the loyalist parties should 
now be excluded from the talks process, as demanded by Dr. Paisley 
today?
    The President. I can't say that. I think that the only position I've 
taken on this whole thing is that the cease-fire ought to be restored 
for full participation of all of the parties. I don't want to get into 
that.
    I think that the people who are there on the ground are perfectly 
capable of making their decisions. I think on balance, what we want is 
the largest number of people possible who will be affected by this in 
the end participating, and I think that that's what we should look for. 
But I don't think----

President's Travel Plans

    Q. Do you anticipate going back to Ireland, Mr. President, in 
December?
    Q. Mr. President, will you make the golf match with Dick Spring this 
time?

[[Page 1516]]

    The President. I'll do my very best. Only an intervening 
circumstance stopped me last time. I hope I can come back and do it. He 
wants the privilege of beating me on the home soil, and I suppose I'll 
have to let him do that someday.
    Q. Are you definitely coming to Dublin in December?
    The President. I don't know yet.

Note: The President spoke at 6:25 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to George J. Mitchell, Special 
Adviser to the President and the Secretary of State on Economic 
Initiatives for Ireland; and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Spring of 
Ireland. A reporter referred to Ian Paisley, Northern Ireland Democratic 
Unionist Party leader. A tape was not available for verification of the 
content of these remarks.