[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book II)]
[July 7, 1997]
[Pages 919-922]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks Following Discussions With President of the Government
Jose Maria Aznar of Spain and an Exchange With Reporters in Madrid
July 7, 1997

    President Aznar. President Clinton and his family, at the invitation 
of Their Majesty, the King and Queen of Spain, have spent a few days in 
Mallorca. I hope they have been good days in Mallorca, a mini-holiday. I 
had the opportunity to join them yesterday, again at the invitation of 
His Majesty, the King. I think I was meant to torture President 
Clinton's holiday for a few moments, and we discussed at length a number 
of issues.
    It is my pleasure to officially welcome President Clinton and his 
delegation to Madrid. We have just had a meeting, a continuation of 
yesterday's conversations, and the meeting was of tremendous interest. 
We talked about the summit which begins tomorrow in Madrid. I hope that 
this will represent a decisive contribution to security and peace in the 
world. We hope that is the case, and it will be if we engage in a 
constructive spirit, the spirit which presides the Atlantic alliance.
    Advances have been made in the negotiations for the internal reform 
of the alliance, and we have all made efforts to secure the necessary 
consensus on enlargement of the Atlantic alliance. Sufficient elements 
are in place so that the summit which begins tomorrow can be the point 
of departure for improving the security and cooperation in the Atlantic 
alliance. And we hope that conversations can conclude soon on internal 
reform for the security and defense of Europe, proceed with enlargement 
and to sign the historic agreement between the Ukraine and Russia and 
Atlantic alliance.
    I've spoken to President Clinton. I told him that Spain hopes to 
achieve considerable advances during this summit, bearing in mind 
Spain's Parliament decision on the referendum on NATO. And we hope to 
join the military command of NATO once the command is fully defined and 
our interests are safeguarded. President Clinton knows that Spain is 
deeply interested in having a positive outcome to this situation.
    We discussed bilaterally issues of common interest to us in other 
parts of the world. Our bilateral relations are excellent, I must say, 
relations between the United States and Spain. We already had an 
opportunity to talk a couple of months ago in Washington, and I hope 
that these conversations and this visit are a good example of how to 
engage in permanent and fruitful dialog between the United States and 
Spain.
    Thank you very much. And I give the floor to the President of the 
United States, Mr. Clinton.
    President Clinton. Thank you very much. Mr. Prime Minister, it is 
wonderful to be back in Spain. And let me thank you again, along with 
the King and the Queen and the people of Spain, for the very warm 
hospitality that my family and I have experienced in Mallorca. And it is 
great to be back in Madrid and to be with you again. As you said, we had 
a very good visit in Washington in the springtime, and then we also saw 
each other in Paris when the NATO leaders met to forge our compact with 
Russia.
    The NATO Summit that begins tomorrow is a milestone in our work to 
adapt NATO to a new Europe and a new century, so that it can meet new 
security challenges, open the door to new members, reach out to new 
partners. This new mission for NATO is designed to secure a Europe that 
is undivided, democratic, and at peace for the first time in history. 
And it is very appropriate that Spain should be the

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host of this summit, because, after all, NATO last admitted a new member 
15 years ago, and that new member was Spain.
    When Spain joined NATO and the European Union, Spain strengthened 
both institutions and fortified its own newfound freedoms. Now it is one 
of democracy's staunchest friends and NATO's strongest leaders. And let 
me say to you, we welcome Spain's intention to take her full place in 
NATO's integrated military structure as we complete a new command 
structure.
    This will also greatly strengthen the bonds of our alliance. It will 
greatly strengthen our alliance, and along with the steps that we will 
take over the next 2 days, I am sure we will promote a greater sharing 
of responsibility between America and Europe as we try to create an even 
stronger partnership with richer democracies for a new century.
    Finally, Mr. Prime Minister, let me thank you again for hosting this 
summit and for the strong leadership you have shown in so many areas. 
I'm looking forward to the work ahead of us in the next couple of days 
and to the future we are trying to make together.
    Thank you very much.

Elections in Mexico

    Q. Thank you very much for being here, and welcome here in Spain. 
I'm a reporter from Televisa. Let me ask you this at least in Spanish, 
anyway, Mr. President. As you know, elections were held in Mexico 
yesterday. I'd like to know what your opinion and the Spanish Prime 
Minister's opinion is with respect to Mr. Cardenas' victory. To what 
extent do you think those elections might influence the relations 
between the United States and Mexico?
    President Clinton. It's interesting you ask this question because we 
have just discussed it, and I believe that the Prime Minister is a step 
ahead of me. He's already called President Zedillo, and they've had a 
visit. But we support the elections, and we support the expression of 
popular will by the people of Mexico. The United States wants to be a 
good partner and a good friend. We share a long border. We share much 
common heritage. We have many of the same problems with the narcotics 
and many of the same opportunities with economic growth. And we believe 
that anything that adds to Mexico's strength as a democracy is good for 
our common future.
    These elections, insofar as they gave the Mexican people an 
opportunity for the open, free expression of their will, are good for 
that relationship and good for the future. It doesn't matter how they 
came out. That was for the Mexican people to decide. And we applaud 
that.
    President Aznar. I have already congratulated President Zedillo's 
election yesterday. I have already mentioned this to President Clinton. 
For us, it is a source of satisfaction that the political process in 
Mexico, in terms of quality, has taken a step forward after yesterday's 
elections. The elections were held in a very satisfactory way, and human 
rights were fully respected.

NATO Participation

    Q. Mr. President, what do you think of the French deciding not to 
add to the military structure--their own troops and so forth, as the 
Spanish have done?
    President Clinton. Well, first of all, the Spanish Government--and 
the leader who is here, he certainly can speak for himself, but Spain 
has said that they want to be a part of the integrated military 
structure, but there are certain specifics we have to work out. And 
Spain should, obviously, take a very aggressive view of its own interest 
in trying to work through those things. And I have encouraged all of our 
people to try to cooperate, to work it out in a way that is military 
defensible. That is, keep in mind, NATO is first and foremost a defense 
structure, and whatever we do has to make sense from a security point of 
view. But Spain is working through these issues. And I feel comfortable 
they will be worked through.
    Now, with regard to France, at least in the United States, these 
issues are quite well known. We believe that there should be a new NATO 
command structure. We believe that more of the command positions should 
be given over to Europe and to everybody that is in the command 
structure, including France, should France decide to do that.
    What we have said is that we do not believe that the United States 
should give up one single command--the command of AFSOUTH it's called--
because that's where the United States 6th Fleet is. And except for the 
position of our troops in Germany and Japan and South Korea, the 6th 
Fleet is our biggest asset beyond our borders and the major asset of 
AFSOUTH. But beyond that, we believe the French, if they

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join the military structure, should be involved in the command, and we 
want to support it.
    So I hope as soon as the summit is over, NATO can resume 
negotiations with the French and by the end of the year, both Spain and 
France will be in the integrated command structure. They are very great 
countries; they should be in the command structure.
    Q. What are the Spanish caveats to joining the military structure?
    President Aznar. I am maintaining the Spanish Government's favorable 
position to conclude the process of integration in the military 
structure. That is our Government's agreement. It is the majority 
consensus of Spain's Parliament. We have already taken a number of steps 
in that direction. I think things are going very well as regards the 
prior work for concluding the new command structure.
    Spain, needless to say, has its own interests that have to be 
safeguarded, but these have been covered, more or less, by a general 
framework. There are some technical problems that still have to be 
ironed out, but I think that with the impetus given by the Madrid 
Summit, between now and the end of the year, particularly in the month 
of December, I think we can take the definitive decision to join the 
full integrated military structure, with all the consequences that 
entails, as Spain, which wants to shoulder its responsibilities and a 
country which wants to be present at a very ideal moment in history to 
contribute with its assets to peace and cooperation in the world, in the 
Atlantic, and particularly in the areas of interest to Spain.
    One last question, please. We are very pushed for time, I'm sorry.
    Q. A lot has been made of the United States position accepting just 
three countries. If a further enlargement took place, does Spain think 
that Spain's interests have not been fulfilled? The three-country 
enlargement is--[inaudible]--if Spain has been prepared to negotiate 
further? Has Spain's position been strengthened within the Atlantic 
alliance?
    This is a step forward--a specific question, please--if Spain does 
not join the full integrated military structure, will a new command 
structure--if it doesn't achieve a new command structure, will it be 
disappointed?
    President Clinton. That's your question.
    President Aznar. I'm convinced things will move along the lines I 
mentioned just a few moments ago. I think within a few months, Spain 
will be in the integrated military structure. That is in Spain's 
interest, in the Atlantic alliance's interest. I did say there were some 
technical difficulties that have to be ironed out, and they will be 
ironed out.
    As regards enlargement, can I just say that we will make every 
effort to arrive at a consensus with regard to enlargement, and that 
consensus will ensure that the summit is a milestone, a success in terms 
of cooperation and security.
    President Clinton. If I could just add to what Prime Minister Aznar 
said, we believe that the NATO doors should remain open. We do not 
believe we should close the doors on the aspirations of any democracy in 
Europe.
    As regards Romania and Slovenia, we applaud the work they have done 
in embracing democracy and in showing a willingness to share the 
responsibilities of preserving the peace in the future and resolving 
border disputes and ethnic difficulties. These things are to be 
applauded. And we do not believe they should be told that they can never 
be in NATO or that it would be decades upon decades. We believe, 
however, that each particular decision that should be made should be 
based on the military as well as the political imperatives of assuming 
the responsibilities of membership.
    But nothing the United States has said should be viewed in any way 
as a negative for the future prospects of either of these countries or 
others as well.

Bosnia

    Q. Mr. President, do you expect the NATO Summit to change the rules 
of engagement for the SFOR troops in Bosnia to permit a more aggressive 
effort to capture war criminals? And a related question, is there a plan 
by--or have the CIA and Special Forces put together a plan that would 
lead to the apprehension of Mr. Karadzic?
    President Clinton. I think the--you've asked me two questions, and I 
will give what I believe is an appropriate answer. The War Crimes 
Tribunal is a part of the Dayton agreement, and we believe everyone 
should support the Dayton agreement in all its parts, including that 
one. We have. And insofar as it's been free to operate, I think it has 
been a positive force. And I think it should continue to do so, and I 
believe we should support it in all ways that are appropriate. So that 
is what I would say about that.

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    I do not expect there to be a statement here explicitly dealing with 
the rules of engagement. I think we will have a statement about Bosnia 
which will make it clear that all of us believe--and we just had a 
discussion about this, and we discussed it before on Mallorca--we 
believe that we have to do more to implement every element of Dayton. I 
think a lot of us are impatient that perhaps even we have not done as 
much as we should have on all of the elements of Dayton.
    Thank you.

Note: President Aznar, Spain's Prime Minister, spoke at 8:43 p.m. in the 
Residence at the Moncloa Palace. In his remarks, President Clinton 
referred to King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain and President 
Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico. Reporters referred to Mexico City Mayor-elect 
Cuauhtemoc Cardenas and Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. A portion 
of these remarks could not be verified because the tape was incomplete.