[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 31, Number 7 (Monday, February 20, 1995)]
[Page 239]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Prior to Discussions With President Zhelyu Zhelev of Bulgaria 
and an Exchange With Reporters

February 13, 1995

    The President. I'd like to tell you how delighted I am to welcome 
President Zhelev and the representatives of his government here. The 
United States supports the democratic and economic transformation of his 
country, and we're looking forward to having this visit and then signing 
a declaration of principles and a common agenda together. We look 
forward to working together. And we're very, very pleased to have him 
and the Ambassador and leaders of the Government here.

Bosnia

    Q. Is Bosnia at the top of your agenda, and the lifting of the 
embargo? Any move toward that?
    The President. Well, I imagine we'll discuss that and a number of 
other things. But we just started.

Declaration of Principles

    Q. What is this declaration of principles? Is it just a friendship 
kind of thing?
    The President. It sort of--it outlines the basic principles that 
will govern our relationship and also sets forward an agenda for how we 
can work together so that we can support their successes, which is 
something we want to do.
    Q. Thank you.
    Q. Life in the old corral.
    The President. What did she say?
    The Vice President. She said, ``Life in the old corral.'' [Laughter]
    The President. I don't know--you haven't stayed rounded up too well, 
Helen [Helen Thomas, United Press International]. This corral analogy 
has got its limits. [Laughter]

[At this point, one group of reporters left the room, and another group 
entered.]

    The President. We are honored to have President Zhelev and the 
leaders of the Bulgarian Government here today, and I look forward to 
our conversations and to continuing the support of the United States for 
the democratic and economic transformations in the country. We are also 
going to sign a joint declaration in a few moments, setting forth the 
principles and the specific agenda that we will follow in working 
together. And I am very, very pleased that the President and the leaders 
of the Government are here.

Note: The President spoke at 5:54 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. A tape was not available for verification of the content of these 
remarks.