[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 29, Number 49 (Monday, December 13, 1993)]
[Page 2541]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks and an Exchange With Reporters Prior to Discussions With 
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and Prime Minister Robert Malval of 
Haiti

 December 6, 1993

Haiti

    The President. I would like to make a statement first. I want to 
welcome President Aristide back to the White House and also welcome 
Prime Minister Malval here for the first time and the other people 
associated with the effort to bring democracy back to Haiti.
    I want to reaffirm the support of the United States for the 
democratic impulses of Haiti and for the return of President Aristide. 
I'd also like to compliment Prime Minister Malval on his announcement 
today of his intention to remain on after December 15th as Acting Prime 
Minister and to try to revitalize and broaden the talks in Haiti within 
the framework of the Governors Island Agreement. The United States will 
support this Haitian initiative and seek the support of the U.N. and the 
OAS. We have no reason to believe that they will not also be supportive, 
and so we are looking forward to discussing that. They just got here, 
and we're going to have discussion about that.
    Q. Besides the sanctions, what steps are you willing to take to help 
restore democracy to Haiti?
    The President. Well, let's wait until we have a meeting here. We're 
going to have a discussion about all those things, and there will be 
more to say about that.

North Korea

    Q. How about North Korea then, Mr. President? Did you come to any 
decision in your meeting today?
    The President. We worked through the problem, and at the end of the 
meeting I authorized our folks to go back to the South Koreans and our 
allies, and I expect to have a talk with President Kim sometime in the 
next 24 hours. We'll talk a little more about it then. I want to talk to 
them before I say more.

Note: The President spoke at 6:45 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. A tape was not available for verification of the content of these 
remarks.