    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [May 15, 1998]
    [Pages 763-764]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Exchange With Reporters Prior to Discussions With President Jacques
    Chirac of France in Birmingham, United
    Kingdom
    May 15, 1998

    Nuclear Proliferation in South Asia

        Q. Mr. President, will you be trying to persuade the other summit
    leaders to impose sanctions on India?
        President Clinton. First of all, I would like to thank President and
    Mrs. Chirac for the wonderful reception
    that Hillary has received in France.
    She was there for a couple of days; she was able to go out with Mrs.
    Chirac to her constituency. And she called me last night very, very
    excited and very pleased. And I thank you for your hospitality. It was
    wonderful.
        President Chirac. The visit to Correze was simply fascinating, as we
    heard. And I certainly agree with that.
        President Clinton. We're going to discuss this. As you know, I think
    it's important that we take a clear position. I hope we can convince
    Pakistan not to engage in testing. I'd like everyone to sign on to the
    Comprehensive Test Ban and work together to reduce the nuclear threat.
    There are ways for a great nation to preserve its security without
    nuclear weapons, and that's what I want to focus on.

    Middle East Peace Process

        Q. Mr. President, there were eight people killed on the West Bank.
    Is that a sign people are losing hope in the peace process there, and
    what can you do?
        President Clinton. Well, we know there's a lot of frustration there,
    and I regret very much the loss of life as well as the tensions which
    occurred there. I saw the--all I know is what I saw on television last
    night. But for me, the larger lesson is that delay is not the friend of
    peace and that we need to work very hard. I'm encouraged that Secretary
    Albright and Prime Minister
    Netanyahu are still working, and we need,
    I think of all us, to try to come to terms with the difficult issues
    that would at least get the parties into the final status talks.

    [[Page 764]]

        We have been more than a year now without any substantial progress.
    And I think the larger message here, apart from the tragedies involved
    for everybody, is that delay is not the friend of the peace process.
    It's time to move.

    Situation in Indonesia

    [At this point, a question was asked in French, and a translation was
    not provided.]

        President Clinton. Would you translate for the Americans?
        President Chirac. Well, of course, we would like to have a peaceful
    solution to the Indonesian crisis--all the more, considering that
    Indonesia needs the international community in order to overcome the
    financial crisis. And of course, we will encourage fully any solution
    that would be liable to settle the political crisis in Indonesia.
        President Clinton. Let me say, first, we have been working since
    last November with President Soeharto and with
    Indonesia to try to work through the financial crisis. The IMF has
    modified its plan on a couple of occasions to try to make it possible to
    have both reform and to minimize the harm to ordinary citizens in
    Indonesia.
        In terms of who should govern Indonesia, that is a question for the
    Indonesians to decide, not the G-8. But I do believe that resolving the
    crisis now requires not only economic reform but also a genuine dialog
    between the Government and all the elements in society to try to
    determine how they should go forward. That, to me, is the most important
    thing. The result of that dialog is for them to decide, not us.

    President's Health

        Q. Mr. President, how is your back?
        President Clinton. Great. Much better today.

    Note: The exchange began at 1:52 p.m. at the Swallow Hotel. In his
    remarks, the President referred to President Chirac's wife, Bernadette,
    Councillor General, Correze Department; and Prime Minister Binyamin
    Netanyahu of Israel. President Chirac spoke in French, and his remarks
    were translated by an interpreter.