[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 13 (Monday, April 4, 1994)]
[Pages 650-651]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
<R04>
Remarks on the Middle East Peace Process and an Exchange With Reporters
in San Diego, California
March 30, 1994
Q. Mr. President, we understand you talked to the Korean President.
What did you tell him?
The President. First of all, I'd like to make a statement about the
Middle East, and then I'll answer the Korean question.
The announcement today that Israel and the PLO have reached accord
on security measures in Hebron is very, very important. It opens the way
to now resume the Israel-PLO dialog on Gaza and Jericho and to complete
it successfully. And this, plus the announcement that the negotiations
with regard to Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon will all resume in April,
means that the Middle East peace process is back on track. It's very
encouraging to me, and I hope it would be to all the American people.
North Korea
Now, I just completed--literally, just a few minutes ago, 10, 15
minutes ago--a conversation with President Kim of South Korea about the
whole Korean situation and about his recent trip to Japan and to China.
He and I reaffirmed our common intention to continue to work together
for a peaceful but firm resolution of this problem with North Korea.
The North Koreans themselves have committed to a nuclear-free Korean
Peninsula. They have committed to the IAEA inspection process. All we
want is for them to keep that commitment as well as their commitment to
resume their dialog with South Korea. And we're going to work very
closely together in the U.N. and in other ways to try to pursue this. We
hope that we will be able to do it in strong cooperation with the
Japanese, who have helped us every step of the way, and with the
Chinese, who have played a very constructive role in this. And I would
also hope that Russia will be able to help in this process. I first
raised this whole issue, Korean issue, with President Yeltsin some time
ago.
And so we and the South Koreans are working to try to get the
cooperation of all these parties and others. But in the end, the North
Koreans will have to decide whether they wish to be completely isolated
or not or whether they will just keep their commitments and, in return
for simply keeping commitments they've already made, have the
opportunity to integrate their nation into a broader and far more
prosperous world.
Q. They use very hostile language sometimes. They've implied that
sanctions might be, in their mind, a declaration of war. How do you
respond to that?
The President. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have done
nothing offensive to North Korea. All of our military moves, indeed, the
Patriot missile, has been entirely defensive. And any actions that we
would support in that regard would be actions to which we have been
forced by the North Koreans simply because they have declined to keep
commitments that they themselves have made.
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If we're going to do business in this world, people have got to be
able to rely on the commitments that countries freely undertake. And
again, I would say the way is still open to North Korea simply to follow
the commitments they've already made. There are ways they can do that.
We are going to work very closely with the South Koreans, but I think we
have to be firm and persistent and just keep working at it, and we
intend to do that.
Q. How optimistic are you about a U.N. resolution, Mr. President?
The President. Well, I don't want to characterize it in that way.
I'll just say that we and the South Koreans are exploring, with all the
relevant parties, what our options are, and we'll see what develops over
the next few days.
Q. Sir, how big of an impediment is the Chinese to try to reach an
international agreement on this issue? Tonight the nonaligned nations
said they would support China. Is this hurting the chances for an
international agreement because of China's problem?
The President. Well, we'll have to see where China comes down on it
in the end. The Chinese have always been somewhat more cautious because
of their longstanding relationship with North Korea. And also they
have--I think they are genuine in not wanting to do anything which
provokes some sort of crisis.
On the other hand, I would remind you that the Chinese certainly
don't want North Korea to become a clear nuclear power because of the
consequences that might have for them as well as for Japan. And the
Chinese are now doing 8 or 10 times as much business with South Korea as
with North Korea. So, their long-term economic interests clearly are in
pursuing a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula in which North and South Korea
are ultimately partners and both trading with a more prosperous China.
So I think their long-term objectives, security and economic, are
consistent with what our long-term objectives are. So I hope that we can
work through this crisis. But in the end, I will say again, the Chinese,
no different from any other country, should want all nations who give
their word to keep it.
Q. Sir, is this in retaliation against the U.S. because of our trade
problems, our trade differences?
The President. No, I really don't think so. I don't think that has
anything to do with this whatever.
Thank you.
Middle East Peace Process
Q. Are you going to--[inaudible]--about the Middle East--
[inaudible]--Mr. Arafat or anyone?
The President. Well, I'm in contact with the Middle East parties all
the time. To date, this has required quite a lot of effort and personal
time, and believe me, from here on in, it will require much more, time
on the part of the Secretary of State, the President, and all of our
resources. So, I think you can say, over the next couple of months, this
will require a significant commitment and investment on the part of the
United States, and we intend to do that. It's worth it.
Thank you.
Note: The exchange began at 5:55 p.m. at a private residence in San
Diego. A tape was not available for verification of the content of this
exchange.