    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 25 (Monday, June 27, 1994)]
    [Pages 1308-1309]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks and an Exchange With Reporters Prior to Discussions With
    President Arpad Goncz of Hungary and President Michal Kovac of Slovakia

    June 21, 1994

        The President. May I first just make an opening comment here. The
    United States is very honored to have the Hungarian President, Mr.
    Goncz, and the Slovak President, Mr. Kovac, here. They are on their way
    to New York to receive a well-deserved award for their common commitment
    to democracy and reform. They have supported both, steadfastly and with
    great courage and consistency. And I have personally enjoyed very much
    the relationship that we have had working together on the Partnership
    For Peace concept and in many other areas, and I look forward to their
    progress.
        And I congratulate the people of Hungary and the Slovak Republic for
    their steadfastness, even in the face of great difficulty, and their
    leaders for their genuine leadership ability. So, it's a great honor for
    us to have them here in the White House. And we will be talking about
    the role the United States will be playing with them and the other coun-

    [[Page 1309]]

    tries of Central and Eastern Europe, now and in the years ahead, in this
    meeting.

    Partnership For Peace

        Q. Mr. President, is Russia going to sign the Partnership For Peace
    tomorrow in Brussels, that you know of?
        The President. We hope so. We hope they will be doing it in the next
    few days. I'm not sure exactly whether all the details have been worked
    out. But when President Yeltsin and I spoke a couple of days ago about
    the Korean matter, we talked a bit about that. And I expect them to join
    the Partnership For Peace sometime in the next few days.

    North Korea

        Q. And have you opened up a channel to North Korea in the aftermath
    of former President Carter's----
        The President. Well, we have a channel of communications to them.
    And we have followed up President Carter's statements to me and his
    letter of understanding with a communication to the North Koreans, and
    we will be waiting to hear back. And we expect and hope to hear back
    within a couple of days about whether President Carter's understanding
    of what they said is correct.

    Legal Defense Fund

        Q. President Clinton, have you decided whether to launch a legal
    defense fund?
        The President. I have nothing to say about that.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:44 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House. A tape was not available for verification of the content of these
    remarks.