    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book II)]
    [July 11, 1997]
    [Page 942]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 942]]

    Exchange With Reporters Prior to Discussions With President
    Emil Constantinescu of Romania in Bucharest
    July 11, 1997

    Romania

        Q. Mr. President, are you going to tell the Romanian President when
    Romania will be taken into NATO? [Laughter]
        President Constantinescu. It's not a press conference. [Laughter]
        President Clinton. She's been doing this quite a long while. She's
    better at it than we are, and we cannot win. [Laughter]
        Q. What do you think of your reception, Mr. President?
        President Clinton. It was wonderful seeing all the people in the
    streets, and I'm very, very glad to be here. It's quite impressive what
    they have accomplished here in Romania in such a short time. And I think
    you see from the spirit of the people in the streets their devotion to
    freedom. It's a great tribute to the President and to his Government,
    and I'm looking forward to this.

    ``Mars Pathfinder'' Spacecraft

        Q. What do you hear from Mars? [Laughter]
        President Clinton. We're doing okay on Mars.

    Bosnia

        Q. Mr. President, is the situation in Bosnia calm? I mean, have you
    heard any reports?
        President Clinton. So far, yes. We have no reports to the contrary.
        Q. Are you sorry they didn't get the big guys?
        President Clinton. Well, I think what was done was appropriate and
    within the SFOR mandate. The people were under sealed indictment, and
    they came in regular contact with the SFOR forces there--and that's
    plainly within the mandate--in the British sector. They were prepared to
    do that, and we helped them to move the people who were arrested to the
    War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague. And I think it was the right thing to
    do.

    Note: The exchange began at 12:48 p.m. at the Cotroceni Palace.