    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [June 18, 1999]
    [Pages 964-966]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Agreement on Russian Participation in KFOR and an
    Exchange With Reporters in Cologne
    June 18, 1999

        The President. Let me say, first of all, how pleased I am and
    appreciative I am for the efforts made by Secretary Cohen and Defense Minister Sergeyev to
    reach the agreement under which the Russian forces will join KFOR in
    Kosovo.
        I have been briefed on the terms of the agreement. They provide for
    unity of command. They provide for a significant range of
    responsibilities for the Russians, which I think are entirely
    appropriate and will enhance the mission's effectiveness. And I am fully
    supportive of this agreement and very pleased by it.
        This has been a good day. We are achieving our objectives now. We
    know that we have 35,000 Serb forces out, 19,000 KFOR forces in. Now we
    have the agreement with the Russians, and the Kosovars are going home.
    So I feel very good and very grateful for this.
        And again, I know that Secretary Cohen
    and Mr. Sergeyev have worked very hard, and
    I'd also like to thank Secretary Albright and Foreign

    [[Page 965]]

    Minister Ivanov, because I know they've been
    also in Helsinki working away. So I'm very pleased.
        Q. What will the Russian troops be doing, and why is it significant
    that they would not control a sector of their own?
        The President. Well, for one--the main reason is they are actually
    needed in more than one sector.
        Q. Why?
        The President. Because even though the Serb population of Kosovo is
    concentrated primarily in one north central sector and then a
    northeastern sector, they're actually--the religious and cultural sites
    are spread throughout the country and there are pockets of Serbs
    throughout the country, and we think it's quite important that every
    effort be made to secure both the physical sites and the personal
    security of the Serb minority, as well as the Kosovar-Albanian majority.
    And we think it will give confidence to them if the Russians are in more
    than one sector.
        Q. Will the Russians answer to the NATO commanders?
        The President. They have worked out their agreements on unity of
    command, and Secretary Cohen and Mr.
    Sergeyev are discussing it now--I think the
    briefing is going on now, so there's no point in my trying to answer
    their questions for them. They'd do a better job than I would, and if
    made a mistake, just have to clean it up.
        Q. Is this better than Bosnia, sir?

    Gun Control Legislation

        Q. The House vote to kill the gun legislation--was that inevitable
    to kill the legislation because of changes the House wanted to make on
    gun control and the background checks?
        The President. Did they do that today?
        Q. I think they're about to.
        The President. They're going to kill it all?
        Q. They have killed it all.
        Q. They have.
        The President. Well, then maybe that means we'll go back to square
    one and pass a good bill.
        Q. What happened? A month ago it was so different, wasn't it?
        The President. They made a--the decision made by the leadership not
    to act before Memorial Day gave people--gave the NRA time to mobilize
    and lobby and put pressure on the House and gave people's attention time
    to wander from the heartbreak of Littleton and the determination to do
    something about it.
        But I think people still feel very strongly that there's more we can
    do to protect our children, and my attention hasn't wandered. I've been
    working on this for years, and I've seen a lot of ups and downs, so I'm
    more than happy to keep at it. And I would just urge all the advocates
    of sensible legislation to keep their spirits up and keep working and
    keep fighting. And I'll be there with them, and we'll get some things
    done.

    Russian Participation in KFOR

        Q. Is this more than Bosnia for the Russians, Mr. President? Is this
    an enhanced role than what they had in Bosnia?
        The President. Yes, I would say so, because--but it's different. You
    see, in Bosnia, we shared a sector in Bosnia, and we worked very well
    together. I think all of our people will tell you they were very well
    pleased. And then the French had a sector and the British had a sector,
    and there were lots of other countries involved, just as there will be
    here. There will be nearly 30 countries involved.
        But the--we didn't have the same dynamic here. We've got just two
    ethnic groups, and the Serbs are a small minority, but they're a
    substantial number of people and they're spread out. You know, of
    course, I hope that conditions will be such that those ordinary
    civilians who didn't commit any crimes who left will feel that they can
    come back, too.
        So I think having the Russians there and then playing the
    administrative role at the airport gives them a broader range of
    responsibilities, because as I said, I think it's perfectly consistent
    with the mission. I think it will help us to send the message, to model
    the message to both groups that we really do want all law-abiding people
    to be able to live in peace in Kosovo, and we intend to honor our
    commitments to that end.
        So I feel quite good about this, and I've reviewed the, as I said,
    the terms of command and control and the basic elements. I think it will
    work. My test about all this has always been, will it work; ill it bring
    the Kosovars home; will it enable them to live in safety with self-
    government; will it enable us to protect everyone's religious and
    cultural and other appropriate sites? I think the answers to all those

    [[Page 966]]

    questions, if this agreement is faithfully implemented--and I believe it
    will be--the answers to those questions are yes.
        Q. Do you trust the Russians?
        The President. Well, we--all I can tell you is, every time I've had
    an understanding with Boris Yeltsin, he's kept
    it. And we did work with them on a consistent, long-term basis for years
    now in Bosnia, and it's worked out. So I believe now that the agreement
    is worked out, I think it will be honored. I expect it will be honored.
        Q. Despite last week----
        The President. Yes, absolutely.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:08 p.m. in front of the Cologne
    Cathedral. In his remarks, he referred to Minister of Defense Igor
    Sergeyev, Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Ivanov, and President Boris
    Yeltsin of Russia. A tape was not available for verification of the
    content of these remarks.