[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 31, Number 16 (Monday, April 24, 1995)]
[Pages 665-670]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's News Conference With President Cardoso of Brazil

April 20, 1995

    President Clinton. Good afternoon. Please be seated.
    I am delighted to welcome President Cardoso to the White House. For 
many years he has been one of the great leaders of the Americas. 
Although he was only inaugurated in January, President Cardoso has been 
a fighter for democracy throughout his life. He opposed the forces of 
authoritarianism at great personal risk to himself. More recently, he 
led the battle for economic reform during his years as Finance Minister, 
to reduce inflation, establish growth, and help Brazil fulfill the 
tremendous promise of its people and its land.
    Today the President told me about his economic and constitution 
reform efforts, which are essential to placing Brazil on the path of 
sustainable development. I have every confidence in the President's 
ability to strengthen Brazilian democracy and to advance the visionary 
economic reforms he began as Finance Minister.
    Brazil played a key role in forging the historic agreement at last 
year's Summit of the Americas. Today, President Cardoso and I discussed 
how we could build on that success. We also discussed bilateral trade 
issues, and we reaffirmed our commitments to open our markets to each 
other's products. With 160 million consumers, Brazil is one of today's 
biggest emerging markets, and it offers great opportunity for Americans.
    We know that one of the ways we will do this is to realize our 
common commitment to achieve a free trade area of the Americas by the 
year 2005. We have instructed Ambassador Kantor and Foreign Minister 
Lampreia to review trade relations between our nations, as well as those 
between the NAFTA and the MERCOSUR countries, to consider ways to expand 
the flow of goods and capital between our nations. One step will be the 
first meeting this June of the United States-Brazil Business Development 
Council, which will bring together private sector leaders to increase 
investment and trade in both our nations.
    On security issues, we had a very good discussion about the need to 
stand firm together against terrorism. We reviewed the effort by the Rio 
Protocol Guarantors to find a lasting solution to the conflict between 
Peru and Ecuador over their borders. Progress has been made in 
implementing a ceasefire, now we must find an enduring settlement. I 
congratulate, again, President Cardoso on his outstanding leadership in 
helping to resolve this conflict. And the United States has been proud 
to have Americans working with Brazilians there to try to make sure we 
bring the conflict to a satisfactory conclusion.
    Let me say that, finally, we also reviewed our common efforts 
against narcotics and money laundering. We agreed to begin a dialog on 
protecting the environment. U.S. aid funds will be increased this year 
to try to assist that effort in Brazil. And our governments will 
exchange ideas on reforming international financial institutions to meet 
the challenges of the 21st century.
    I must say, I was especially impressed by the ideas that President 
Cardoso and the members of his administration have shared with us on the 
changes we need to make in the international institutions so that we can 
get the benefit of the globally integrated markets that we all want to 
benefit from without having too much instability undermine the march to 
progress.
    With our two great nations cooperating as never before, we stand at 
a moment of unparalleled opportunity. We must now seize it, and we will 
seize it. We will promote democracy. We will advance prosperity. We will 
do it together. In the months and years ahead, I look forward to working 
with President Cardoso to forge an even stronger partnership between our 
nations and our peoples. We should do it. It is in our interest to do 
it, and it is the right thing for our hemisphere and for the world to do 
it.
    Thank you, Mr. President.
    President Cardoso. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, it was a 
great honor to be received by President Bill Clinton today. I know that 
this is a day of grief for this country, and I take this opportunity to 
extend to all Americans the solidarity of the Brazilian people. To you, 
President Clinton, I convey a personal message of support and encour- 

[[Page 666]]

agement. Mr. President, I repeat what I said this morning: In my view, 
this terrorist act affects not only America, it affects all of us who 
believe in peace and democracy and in freedom for all.
    During our meeting, I had a chance to express to you my personal 
friendship and the admiration that Brazil has for his permanent 
commitment to the cause of peace, prosperity, and democracy.
    I had the privilege of meeting President Clinton during the Miami 
summit, his initiative that he revealed his statesmanship and his vision 
of a better future for the Americas.
    Today, as we discussed the prospects for our hemisphere, I had the 
chance to assure him that the same spirit of cooperation that guided my 
country during the works of the summit will keep guiding us in 
implementing of its results.
    I had also the chance to bring to the American people the message of 
a country that went through deep transformations and that today presents 
itself to the world as a solid democracy, a strong economy, and a 
vigorous and free society. This new country is a natural partner of the 
U.S., and I stressed to President Clinton that the time is right for the 
design of a new affirmative agenda that will bring our two countries 
even closer together.
    And I must say that it was really highly impressive by the kind 
words by President Clinton and by the spirit in our discussions. We have 
so many values in common. We have a similar political will. We have the 
support of our people to work together in reaffirming our commitment to 
reforms, to bring to our countries better conditions of life, and to go 
ahead with democracy.
    I would like to add, Mr. President, that Brazil will support also 
the effort under the umbrella of the Organization of American States 
toward democracy and the specific program you referred to, and that 
Brazil will be always open in discussing the international financial 
issues, and Brazil is ready to assume more responsibilities at the world 
level in order to go ahead with the programs of peacekeeping and to do 
the best of our effort to really keep a world of peace.
    Already in this context of this new agenda, Ambassador Lampreia, as 
you said, and Ambassador Kantor are being instructed to prepare a study 
of trade relations between Brazil and the United States with the 
objective of improving the flow of goods, services, and capital between 
our countries. In this same area, we agreed that the first meeting of 
the Brazil-U.S. Business Development Council shall take place in Denver 
this June, cochaired by Ambassador Lampreia and by Secretary Brown, in 
bringing together private sector representatives. I am confident that 
this first meeting will be a very important opportunity to increase even 
further the economic relations between our two countries.
    In the discussion of the main themes of the international agenda, I 
expressed to President Clinton my view that the same democratic values 
that had proven its strength with the end of cold war should now guide 
us in the effort of building a new international order. Democracy should 
be the cornerstone, not only inside each society but also among nations. 
This is the guideline that Brazil will follow in the meetings in which 
the revision of the San Francisco Charter will be discussed.
    I also had the chance to express to President Clinton our long-
standing commitment to the cause of nonproliferation and peace. This 
commitment has a very concrete translation in our decision to ratify and 
fully implement the Tlatelolco Agreement, and also in the creation of 
the Brazilian Space Agency. In our commitment by the executive branch to 
abide by the MTCR guidelines in the approval of the Quadrapartheid 
Nuclear Safeguards Agreement.
    The very positive working meeting that I had the privilege to hold 
this morning with President Clinton is only a first step taken toward 
the strengthening of a new relationship that built upon a solid base of 
shared values will be decisive to make real the dream of a prosperous, 
fair, and free hemisphere for all of us.
    Thank you very much.
    President Clinton. Thank you.
    Terry [Terence Hunt, Associated Press].

Oklahoma City Bombing

    Q. Mr. President, the bombing in Oklahoma City has left many 
Americans wondering if it can happen in the Nation's heartland,

[[Page 667]]

can it happen in their hometown. What can you say to calm these fears? 
And in particular, what can you say to the Nation's children, who have 
been terrified by seeing other children killed?
    President Clinton. I would say, first of all, that we are working 
very hard to strengthen the ability of the United States to resist acts 
of terror. We have increased our efforts in law enforcement, through the 
FBI and the CIA. We have increased our ability to cut off money used for 
such purposes. We have increased our capacity to track the materials 
that can be used to destroy people. I have sent legislation to the 
Congress, as you know, that would increase this capacity even further. I 
have done everything I could and our administration has to bring home 
suspected terrorists for trial from Pakistan, from Egypt, from the 
Philippines, from elsewhere. We are moving aggressively. Today I have 
ordered new steps to be taken to secure Federal facilities throughout 
the United States.
    I would say to the children of this country, what happened was a bad 
thing, an evil thing, but we will find the people who did it, and we 
will bring them to justice. This is a law-abiding country. And neither 
the leaders nor the citizens of this country will permit it to be 
paralyzed by this kind of behavior.

Mexican Financial Crisis

    Q. I'd like to address this question to both President Cardoso and 
President Clinton. You both mentioned today the spirit of Miami, the 
economic integration of the Americas. Do you believe it's still possible 
after the collapse of Mexico?
    President Cardoso. Should I answer in Portuguese or English? I will 
answer in Portuguese because it could be immediately transmitted to 
Brazil.

[At this point, President Cardoso answered the question in Portuguese.]

    If you would like, I can make a very brief summary. I said that I 
believe that what happened with Mexico is not an obstacle to go ahead 
with the Miami spirit. The Miami spirit was a result of a long history 
of good relationship among our peoples. And we believe that the 
immediate reaction, patronized by President Clinton and then the 
international support to Mexico, was a good example of the necessity of 
still more alive spirit like the Miami summit did in order to solve 
problems and crises which can occur from time to time, but together, we 
will solve all these crises much more rapidly and much more 
energetically than alone.
    President Clinton. I agree with that. I believe that, first of all, 
that the problem in Mexico has caused severe problems for the people of 
Mexico. It has also presented challenges to Brazil, to Argentina, 
indeed, to the United States. But look at the long run. The countries of 
our hemisphere are moving toward democracy, toward openness, toward free 
competition. The more we work together, the less likely it is that we 
will have future problems like we had in Mexico.
    So, if anything, if there is any lesson to be drawn here, it is that 
we must work more urgently in these directions and more urgently to be 
strong together so that these events will not have the kind of shocking 
impact they had in Mexico.
    Helen [Helen Thomas, United Press International].

Oklahoma City Bombing

    Q. Mr. President, despite the horror of it all and the assumptions 
that may or may not be true, don't you think that it's time now to warn 
against hatred and violence against Middle Eastern stereotypes, just in 
case, since we do have strong laws in this country, I believe, against 
terrorism?
    President Clinton. I would like to make, if I might, two comments 
with regard to that. Number one, I ask the American people not to jump 
to any conclusions. We have two missions now. One is search and rescue--
search and rescue: We had a miraculous recovery of a teenage girl just 
hours ago, and we have six special teams from FEMA that will be on the 
ground today to continue this. The second is investigate. We have 200--
200 FBI agents on the scene and hundreds of other people all across 
America putting their best efforts behind this. Let us not jump to 
conclusions.
    Then I would say, in response to your question, there were three 
Arab-American organizations which today condemned what was done. This is 
not a question of anybody's

[[Page 668]]

country of origin. This is not a question of anybody's religion. This 
was murder. This was evil. This was wrong. Human beings everywhere, all 
over the world, will condemn this out of their own religious 
convictions. And we should not stereotype anybody.
    What we need to do is to find out who did this and punish them 
harshly. That's what we need to do. The American people should know that 
the best investigators in the world are working to find the truth. Let 
us support search and rescue and investigation and deal with the facts 
as we find them.

Bretton Woods Institutions

    Q. I'd like to direct my question to both Presidents. After the 
Mexican crisis, both governments, Brazil and the United States, talked 
about the need for equipping international financial institutions of 
means to react in those circumstances. I would like to know what you 
have discussed in that regard. And to President Clinton, since the 
United States and the G-7 countries seems to continue to be in no 
position to increase of capital of the IMF, how can the G-7 countries 
achieve that objective without providing the money to the institution?
    President Cardoso. Well, in fact--have discussed a little, that 
point, and it seems to us, I would say, that the time is coming to take 
some important decision in that area. It's not easy. You know, the 
Bretton Woods institutions are now approaching the 50th anniversary. So 
it's time to implement some changes. We are discussing these changes. I 
had some ideas. I presented to President Clinton these ideas which are 
not, you know, unexpected ideas. Everybody knows that it is important 
to--maybe to give more leverage to the IMF to act more promptly and to 
solve these emergency problems. I'm convinced that the G-7 will take the 
issue, and I am waiting for additional initiatives, and Brazil is--will 
be ready to cooperate in these kind of initiatives.
    President Clinton. Let me say, I strongly believe that there must be 
some changes. And I urged the G-7 countries last year, when we met in 
Italy, to devote this year's meeting to reviewing the adequacy of the 
international financial institutions to meet the challenges of the 
present global economy.
    Furthermore, if we expect the IMF and the World Bank to tell 
countries, ``Look you must reform your economy; you must even be 
prepared to have the hard times that discipline sometimes brings in the 
short run to help prosperity in the long run,'' then surely we must have 
some capacity to cushion the same countries that are prepared to make 
those sacrifices against unforeseen and dramatic adverse changes that 
the underlying economic circumstances do not warrant. So we are looking 
into that.
    But I think that it is important for me as President of the United 
States not to commit myself at this early juncture to specific reforms 
until after I have a chance to consult with all the other countries with 
whom we should work, not just the G-7 countries but the emerging 
economies, the powerful countries of the future, like Brazil, who lived 
through this system and have very good ideas about how to change it.
    Yes, Brit [Brit Hume, ABC News].

Oklahoma City Bombing

    Q. Two things, sir. First, how concerned are you that this incident 
in Oklahoma will be seen by those who feel that the United States should 
not have the kind of far-flung diplomatic and military undertakings that 
it does, that this is the kind of thing that happens when a nation, as 
some would say, meddles in the affairs of others? And second, if you 
know anything about it, sir, there's a wire service report that the 
British Interior Ministry says that a possible suspect in this case is--
is being, or has been returned to the United States.
    Thank you.
    President Clinton. First, let me say, I would hope the American 
people would draw exactly the opposite conclusion from this. Our future 
lies in an open society, a free economy, and the free interchange of 
people of ideas and goods. In that kind of world, we cannot withdraw 
from the world, nor can we hide.
    Look what happened in Argentina. No one thinks the Argentines are 
out there meddling in the affairs of people throughout the world. No 
great country can hide. We have to stand

[[Page 669]]

up, fight this kind of madness, and take appropriate steps.
    Moreover, I will say again, we do not know who the perpetrator is. 
Technology gives power to people to do this sort of thing. Look at what 
happened in Japan, where there was no outside influence, but a radical 
group within Japan, able to take a little vial of gas and kill large 
numbers of people, this having happened twice now.
    So the lesson for my fellow citizens should be, we're going to stand 
with freedom-loving people throughout the world, like President Cardoso, 
who despise this sort of evil, and we're going to stamp it out. And 
we're going to protect our people.
    Now as to the second question. Let me say again, I was briefed last 
night at midnight, I was briefed this morning, early in the morning. I 
know what the status of our efforts are. They are intense and they are 
comprehensive. But I do not believe we should be commenting on an 
ongoing investigation. And at the appropriate time, the Justice 
Department will say whatever it is that should be said.
    I can tell the American people, they would be very proud of the 
efforts which have been made in this area since it occurred yesterday 
morning. They have been awesome, intense, comprehensive, and dogged. But 
I will not comment on the specific aspects of the investigation until 
the Justice Department determines it's appropriate to do.

Brazilian Patent Legislation

    Q. I would like to direct the question to both Presidents. If the 
Brazilian Congress does not approve the intellectual property bill 
before the deadline for the USTR to start a new phase of investigation 
on Brazil, what course of action does each of you intend to take?
    President Cardoso. Well, you know, the Brazilian Congress is a 
sovereign Congress. It can take the time it believes is necessary to 
discuss a bill. As you know, Brazilians know, the Brazilian Government 
has a clear idea and is exposing its own ideas to the Congress--is 
insisting on the necessity of a bill to protect intellectual rights. 
Also for Brazilians, we're having at that point in time, there are many 
Brazilians who are urging, you know, the approval of this bill because 
they need to--to have their patents recognized across the world. And 
they have no possibility to ask the Brazilian Bureau to do it, because 
we don't have yet a law.
    So I am convinced that the Congress will approve the bill as soon as 
possible. I'm expecting for this semester, the last vote in the Senate, 
and then back to the House--but the House has only one choice--assume 
that the Congress--that Senate added good things and then approve the 
amendments made by the Senate, or approve the law which has been already 
approved by the House.
    So it's a matter of some--a couple of weeks or months, and this is 
important for Brazil, is not for United States. It is important for 
Brazil because we are integrating at the global level the economy, and 
we need to protect our own interests through this bill.
    President Clinton. Well, as you know, we have certain laws in this 
country we have to follow. But I am absolutely convinced after this 
meeting today that the President wants to pass that legislation. And I 
agree with him that the main beneficiary of that legislation would not 
be the United States or other nations trading with Brazil. It would be 
Brazil.
    It is important that everyone in Brazil understands you are rapidly 
becoming not only a very great economy but a very sophisticated one. A 
product manufactured by Brazil is now going to be part of the space 
shuttle. You need--if you're going to be a high-tech producer of 
sophisticated and diverse products, you must have a strong patent law. 
Yes, it will protect our intellectual property, but more importantly, it 
will enable you to continue to grow your economy.
    Rita [Rita Braver, CBS News].

Oklahoma City Bombing

    Q. I know we're quite early on in the investigation on Oklahoma 
City, but Janet Reno has already said that the U.S. would seek the death 
penalty. I wondered if she did that with your concurrence. And also, if 
the United States should find that another country was behind this, 
should we expect military retaliation?
    President Clinton. I must not and I must urge you not to speculate 
on who is guilty yet or what their connections are. That can- 

[[Page 670]]

not help the course of the investigation. Let us wait and see what the 
facts are.
    In response to your first question, she did say that with my 
knowledge and support. Just a few--oh, maybe in a couple of hours after 
this incident occurred, after we reviewed all the things that we could 
do to work on the search and rescue mission, I asked specifically 
whether the crime bill we passed provided for capital punishment in 
cases like this. If this isn't an appropriate case for it, I don't think 
there ever would be one. And I strongly support what she said.
    We'll take--take one last question--

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

Brazilian Infrastructure

    President Cardoso. The point raised is that Brazil needs something 
like $70 billion in the coming 4 years just to enlarge its 
infrastructure, and we have passed a bill on--services concessions. By 
the way, I was the author of the bill when I was Senator. It took 4 
years to approve the bill. And now, what is required is a set of rules 
by the executive branch in order to clarify how to do it.
    This is, at this point in time, we have a draft for this Executive 
order, and it is a matter of weeks and the Brazilian Government will 
approve these rules. And of course, the Brazilian economy is open to 
foreign investors through this mechanism of concessions--concessions 
law, but also, we are going ahead with our privatization program. As I 
said yesterday, the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, we are ready 
to ask for more foreign capital in several areas.
    It depends in some areas, yet from our constitutional reform, and we 
are moving fast in that direction. I expect for the next month the 
approval of the constitutional amendments as sent to the Congress 
regarding economic order. As you know, President Clinton, constitutional 
amendments requires enormous debates at the Congress, and it takes time. 
To my view, what is going now on in Brazil is the Congress reacting very 
quickly because they are about to vote the first one of these amendments 
in a manner of maybe some days, and this will be a record. I am 
absolutely confident that the Brazilian Congress will approve what is 
needed for the Brazilian economic improvement.
    That's all.

Oklahoma City Bombing

    President Clinton. I agree with that.
    Let me--we have to conclude. I want to make sure that I have been 
very clear on the question, Rita, that you asked. You asked, well, what 
if we find out someone did it affiliated with another country. I don't 
want anyone to assume that we are accusing anybody or anything today. We 
do not know.
    On the other hand, let me reiterate what I said yesterday. Whoever 
did it, we will find out, and there will be justice that will be swift 
and certain and severe. And there is no place to hide. Nobody can hide 
any place in this country; nobody can hide any place in this world, from 
the terrible consequences of what has been done. This was an attack on 
innocent children, on innocent victims, on the people there in Oklahoma 
City. But make no mistake about it, this was an attack on the United 
States, our way of life, and everything we believe in. So whoever did 
it, we will get to the bottom of it, and then we'll take the appropriate 
action.
    Thank you very much.

Note: The President's 94th news conference began at 12:52 p.m. in the 
Rose Garden at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to Brazilian 
Foreign Minister Luiz Filipe Lampreia.