[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 31, Number 39 (Monday, October 2, 1995)]
[Pages 1730-1731]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Exchange With Reporters Prior to Discussions With Middle East Leaders

September 28, 1995

Middle East Peace Process

    Q. Mr. President, what message should the world get from seeing this 
group assembled here together today?
    President Clinton. Well, first of all, this is truly an historic 
meeting. The people here represented have never sat together before. And 
we have the Foreign Ministers of virtually the entire Arab League here. 
There's never been, even when we were here last--September 2 years ago, 
we didn't have this kind of representation.
    And the message to the world is that the peoples of the Middle East 
are coming together. They're moving toward peace. They're determined to 
reach an honorable, a just, and a lasting peace.
    Q. When do you expect President Asad to join you here, Mr. 
President? When do you expect President Asad of Syria to be here with 
you?
    President Clinton. We don't want to give expectations. All I can 
tell you is that the message that should come out of this meeting is the 
peoples of the Middle East are moving toward peace.
    Q. President Mubarak, what do you think of this accord? And do you 
think it is the biggest step in the right direction?
    President Hosni Mubarak. I think it's a very good accord. And I can 
say that it's a very historic one. It's a very good indication about the 
peace which all of us hope can be maintained and cover all the Middle 
East.
    Q. Are the toughest decisions yet to come?
    President Clinton. There are always tough decisions on the road to 
peace. But look at what's happened. Look at what His Majesty King 
Hussein and--look at this agreement today. We're moving in the right 
direction. That's all anyone could ask. And the United States is very, 
very pleased about it.

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

    Q. Mr. President, to what limit can the United States guarantee the 
honest implementation for that agreement?
    President Clinton. I don't know that the United States is in a 
position of guaranteeing it, but we have worked with these parties, and 
we have confidence that there will be an honest effort made to implement 
the agreement.
    And I think the fact that President Mubarak would come here--he has 
been a very positive force in these negotiations--His Majesty King 
Hussein would come here for this should be evidence that all of us have

[[Page 1731]]

a high level of confidence that we will be able to work together to help 
this agreement be implemented.
    And that will be my message to the others who are coming here from 
around the world today. Every nation says that it is a friend of peace 
in the Middle East. Now we must all help this peace to succeed in every 
way that we possibly can. And the leaders of your region by coming here 
today have, I think, given great energy and inspiration to that and will 
increase the chances that this historic meeting will lead to the proper 
implementation of the agreement and to rewarding the courage of the 
Israelis and the Palestinians who have made it.

Note: The exchange began at 10:50 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House prior to discussions with King Hussein I of Jordan, President 
Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Chairman Yasser Arafat of the Palestine 
Liberation Organization, and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Israel. A 
tape was not available for verification of the content of this exchange.