[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 23 (Monday, June 13, 1994)]
[Pages 1245-1247]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks With Prime Minister Edouard Balladur of France and an Exchange 
With Reporters in Paris

June 7, 1994

    The President. The Prime Minister and I had a very good meeting, and 
we just had a wonderful lunch.
    We discussed a large number of topics. But the things I think I 
should emphasize are first, our common commitment to complete the GATT 
round and to continue the work of involving and expanding trade as a way 
of promoting economic growth; second, our desire to use the G-7 meeting 
which is coming up as a way of dealing with some of the difficult 
questions that the wealthier countries have to face in a global economy, 
questions of labor standards, of environmental protection, the question 
of how to generate new jobs for our people. These are questions that in 
many ways advance economies, if ever seriously discussed with one 
another. We are attempting to do that.
    We also, of course, discussed our common concerns in the area of 
foreign policy. And we reaffirmed our determination to work together 
very closely on the question of Bosnia to try to first encourage both 
sides to support Mr. Akashi's proposal for a ceasefire, and secondly to 
support the work of the contact

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group in attempting to come up with an appropriate division of 
territory, which can be the basis of a lasting settlement there. We 
intend to be as supportive as we can. We can work on the ceasefire, and 
we have to await the final results of the contact group on the 
territorial recommendations.
    On balance, I felt it was a very good meeting. I reaffirmed the 
support of the United States for a stronger, a more integrated, more 
involved Europe in terms of security, political, and economic affairs. 
And in that regard, the last point I would like to make is how pleased I 
am that 19 other nations have agreed to join France and the United 
States and the other NATO nations in the Partnership For Peace. This is 
very encouraging. We should have some joint exercises before the end of 
the year, which will put us on the road to a more united Europe, in a 
very important security dimension.
    So these are the things we discussed. We discussed other things as 
well, but these are the highlights from my point of view. I'd like to 
now have the Prime Minister say whatever he wishes to say, and then 
perhaps we can answer a question or two.
    Prime Minister Balladur. The President of the United States has just 
said, with great precision, exactly what we actually talked about. And 
well, we agreed on the importance of the fact that the trade 
negotiations should lead speedily to arrangements which would take into 
account the questions of labor and social legislation in various parts 
of the world. And the President suggested that we should ask experts to 
deal with these problems, and I, of course, immediately agreed.
    Secondly, we stressed the importance for Europe and for the whole 
world of the nuclear safety issue, with particular reference to the 
Ukraine, and steps that should be taken to ensure that the situation 
there should not get worse, which would also have an impact on a number 
of other European countries.
    Those, I think, are the main points that we talked about. But in 
addition, we had a very friendly conversation. If I may say so, Mr. 
President, I think we can say it was also a fruitful one. We, of course, 
reaffirmed the great importance and strength of the friendship between 
our two countries.

North Korea

    Q.  Mr. President, did you discuss North Korea at all, or sending a 
special emissary to Seoul?
    The President. We did discuss North Korea, of course. And I 
reaffirmed the position of the United States that the Security Council 
must take up this question and consider a sanctions resolution.
    I believe that the Prime Minister agrees with that position. You 
might want to ask him, but I was very satisfied with the response with 
regard to North Korea. Of course, France's position on this is pivotal, 
since it is one of the permanent members of the Security Council.
    Prime Minister Balladur. I agree that nonproliferation is an 
extremely important aim, both for the United States and for France. And 
I assured the President of our support for a Security Council 
resolution.

Europe-U.S. Relations

    The President. Is there a French question?
    Q. Yes, sir, thank you. Mr. Prime Minister, are you satisfied with 
President Clinton's position on Europe and the relations with France? 
Are you reassured after one year of American foreign policy about which 
we said that it was a rather uncertain one?
    Prime Minister Balladur. I am not reassured, because I was not 
worried. I have full responsible confidence in the United States 
administration and President Clinton's administration. Now, naturally, 
we don't necessarily see everything exactly from the same viewpoint, and 
the opposite would be extremely surprising. But we do share the common 
aim of peace and security worldwide.
    And I would like to add that I found in President Clinton a great 
openness of mind and a great appreciation of European problems and the 
need that Europe should organize itself better, and indeed, he made this 
point at the end of the luncheon. So I think that most of the causes 
that could possibly already have led to difficulty in understanding each 
other's viewpoint have, in fact, disappeared.

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    The President. Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 3:20 p.m. at the Hotel Matignon. A tape was 
not available for verification of the content of these remarks.