[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 2 (Monday, January 17, 1994)]
[Pages 39-40]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks and an Exchange With Reporters Following Discussions With 
President Vaclav Havel of the Czech Republic in Prague

January 11, 1994

    President Clinton. Thank you very much. First, I want to express my 
thanks to President Havel for his warm welcome. I'm coming back to 
Prague only for the second time in my life. I was here 24 years ago in 
this same week, in a very different role in life.
    I have been deeply impressed by the progress made by the Czech 
Republic, and was deeply impressed by the meeting I had today with the 
President and the Prime Minister and with other leaders of the 
government. I reaffirmed the fact that the security of this Republic, 
and of the nations of Central and Eastern Europe are important to the 
security of the United States and to Europe and to the Atlantic 
alliance, that the Partnership For Peace is the beginning of a genuine 
security relationship which can lead to full membership in NATO, and 
that we must also be mindful of the economic dimension of security. For 
it is difficult for nations to pursue good policies and to reflect 
democratic values unless they can also offer the hope of success to the 
people within their borders who work hard, obey the law, and try to 
contribute to the welfare of society.
    So we talked about these things, and I look forward to talking 
tomorrow with all the leaders, who will be here together, in perhaps 
somewhat more specific terms about what we can do to further both these 
objectives. But I am very encouraged by this meeting tonight, and I 
thank President Havel for his support for the Partnership For Peace.

[At this point, a question was asked in Czech, and no translation was 
provided.]

[[Page 40]]

    President Clinton. That issue has not been resolved, so since it was 
not discussed one way or the other, I suppose it is theoretically 
possible. NATO is a security alliance in which all the members undertake 
to assume certain responsibilities for the welfare of the entire group. 
One of the things I want to emphasize about the Partnership For Peace is 
a security relationship that will permit immediately the military 
commanders of NATO to begin to work with the military leaders of each 
country involved in the Partnership, to look at joint training, to look 
at joint exercises, to deal with the whole range of issues which will 
help to move toward membership.
    Q. President Havel, sir, can you tell us how concerned are you about 
the rise of ultranationalists and Communists in the parliamentary 
elections in Russia? Does that cast a cloud over this region?

[President Havel answered the question in Czech, and no translation was 
provided.]

Note: The President spoke at 6:50 p.m. in the First Courtyard at Prague 
Castle. A tape was not available for verification of the content of 
these remarks.