[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 24 (Monday, June 17, 1996)]
[Pages 1041-1047]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's News Conference With European Union Leaders

June 12, 1996

    President Clinton. I'm pleased to welcome Prime Minister Prodi of 
Italy and President Santer of the European Commission to the White 
House. This is the Prime Minister's first visit here since his election 
in May, and I'd like to congratulate him on his fast start in office. 
Let me also thank President Santer who has worked with us so

[[Page 1042]]

productively since he took office a year and a half ago.
    Last year the United States and our European partners agreed to work 
together to reap the benefits of this new era. Already we have seen some 
significant progress in our partnership in the last year. Most 
importantly, working with our NATO Allies, we have helped to end the 
carnage in Bosnia.
    Friday marks the 6-month anniversary of the signing of the Dayton 
Accords. Much remains to be done, but much has been done. There is 
peace; businesses are slowly starting again; and some refugees are 
returning home.
    I salute the European Union and its member states for their 
commitment to civilian reconstruction and for the $718 million they are 
devoting to this effort. Today we discussed Bosnia's recovery, and we 
agreed that for progress to continue, elections should take place in 
September as agreed at Dayton.
    The United States and the European Union are determined to carry 
forward this kind of leadership to seize other opportunities in the 
post-cold-war era. At our last meeting in Madrid 6 months ago, we took a 
step to achieve these goals by creating the new Transatlantic Agenda to 
address our common problems, including our continuing efforts to get a 
just and lasting peace in the Middle East, working more closely than 
ever to fight international crime and drug trafficking.
    In the next few months, in this area, let me say we expect to sign 
an agreement on controlling the chemicals used to make a broad range of 
illegal drugs. And this could be a very significant step if we can reach 
a good agreement and enforce it.
    Today we are announcing an ambitious new effort to fight infectious 
diseases. Recently, diseases that were disappearing have made a 
dangerous comeback. Diseases know no boundaries; they threaten us all. 
And now we'll work together to create a global early warning and 
response network so that we can move decisively against the health 
threats of the future. Just this morning the Vice President announced 
our initiative to make this a reality.
    The Transatlantic Business Dialogue is a forum of business leaders 
from both sides of the Atlantic devoting itself to helping bring down 
barriers and increase trade between the United States and European Union 
nations. Today, let me especially thank two representatives of the 
Transatlantic Dialogue, Mr. Juergen Schrempp, the chairman of Daimler 
Benz, and Mr. John Luke, the chairman of Westvaco, for what they are 
doing and what the TABD has done. Thank you very much to both of you.
    We also are going to expand on this with a transatlantic labor 
dialog between unions from the United States and Europe who will begin 
work soon on issues concerning working men and women on both sides of 
the Atlantic.
    We can take pride that this Transatlantic Agenda has made a strong 
start. When we work together, we know we can meet the challenges of this 
time, and I am very much looking forward to continuing to work with the 
Prime Minister and with President Santer. So I'd like to open the floor 
for a few comments by them, and then we'll answer your questions.
    Mr. Prime Minister.
    Prime Minister Prodi. Thank you. I thank you very much, Mr. 
President, for receiving us in the end of the semester chaired by Italy 
of the European Union.
    This has been a very effective semester. I don't want to repeat what 
you have already told concerning the deep and fruitful cooperation 
between the European Union and the United States. I want only to recall 
the example given in Bosnia. I think that we never had such a deep, 
strong, and fruitful cooperation in such a difficult job. And we have to 
go on in the field, and so the past must be linked with the future.
    You mentioned the problem of reconstruction. The European Union has 
already given more than $1.5 billion, and we need to collect more money 
and more help for reconstructing the former Yugoslavia area. Then we 
have to go on in the field of cooperation in the health, as you 
mentioned, and in the environment, with the example of working together 
in the Ukraine environmental program, and I think that this is an 
example why to work together.
    In the Transatlantic Business Dialogue, we are just harmonizing a 
lot of problems in

[[Page 1043]]

order to decrease the non-tariff barriers and to increase the trade 
between Europe and the United States. But the most important field of 
cooperation will be now in the Middle East policy. This is a chapter 
that needs not only political and military cooperation but needs a lot 
of help, mutual help, in economic terms. We can't solve the Middle East 
problems without a strong economic effort in the area.
    These are the main chapters of U.S.-European cooperation. And then I 
have to mention that this cooperation has never been so good, and I 
think it is a cornerstone of the world equilibrium. We have to stick 
together in the future because the challenge that comes from changing 
and the globalization of the economy is a challenge that must be won by 
strict cooperation between us.
    President Santer. Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, today's 
summit has convinced me that we have a new, deeper, and more robust 
relationship between Europe and America than in the past. Today marks 
the first milestone in this new relationship.
    Last December we promised to act together, rather than just consult 
each other, in order to tackle crime, poverty, disease, and other global 
issues that concern ordinary people on both sides of the Atlantic. We 
have now started to turn these good intentions into concrete action.
    So how far have we got? You would not expect miracles in just 6 
months, but since December, we have made a solid start. For example, we 
have set up a joint task force on communicable diseases. We are working 
on a deal that will help control trade in dangerous chemicals and 
illegal drugs. We have begun studying ways of cutting trade barriers, 
just as businessmen have asked us to do. And we have sent a joint 
mission to Rwanda and Burundi to assess the needs of the refugees there.
    The progress we can show today demonstrates that the highly visible 
disagreements we have had in the recent months over Cuba, Iran, Libya, 
and over trade policy represent a fraction of our overall relationship.
    This was not a Helms-Burton summit that some said it would be. But 
we did raise our concerns about the legislation in no uncertain terms 
with our American colleagues. The extraterritorial elements of this law 
have received worldwide condemnation. We are every bit as concerned 
about rogue states as the United States is. The European nations have 
fought terrorism at every opportunity, and will continue to do so. But 
this is a different issue. We do not believe it is justifiable or 
effective for one country to impose its tactics on others and to 
threaten to its friends while targeting its adversaries. If that is 
done, it is bound to lead to reactions which it is in the interest of us 
both to avoid.
    But despite these disagreements, today's proceedings have shown 
there is much more that binds us together than pulls us apart. And I am 
now convinced that we have a strong, strong enough relationship to speak 
our minds on issues which bother us without jeopardizing the vast range 
of things where we can and must work together to promote peace, freedom, 
and prosperity around the world.
    We must not be complacent. The relationship needs to be worked at. 
Let us never forget that Europe will always need America, and the world 
needs us to work together on its behalf.
    Look at Bosnia, the Middle East, Russia, Rwanda, and Burundi to name 
a few countries. And look at the global fight against crime, drugs, 
pollution, poverty, and disease. Look, too, at the world trading system, 
at the future of the NATO Alliance. All of these issues need 
transatlantic leadership. And the new Transatlantic Agenda has given us 
a solid framework on which to build this strong leadership. We have made 
a good start, but we need to go much further.
    Thank you.
    President Clinton. Thank you very much.
    Mr. Fournier [Ron Fournier, Associated Press].

FBI Files of White House Pass Holders

    Q. On the domestic front, sir, three quick questions on the FBI file 
controversy, which Bob Dole has compared to Watergate tricks. Number 
one, when did you learn that the FBI files of Republicans had been 
requested and obtained by your White House? Two, who in the 
administration knew that they were requested and obtained? And lastly, 
how can you be so sure that this was just

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a bureaucratic snafu when the White House is not investigating it, and 
Ken Starr is not finished?
    President Clinton. Well, first of all, you should have answers to 
some of your questions by the end of the week. The White House Counsel 
and the FBI are working together to review the process and to see what 
should be done to make sure it can't happen again, both in the White 
House and in the FBI. And I expect to get a report by the end of the 
week.
    I will say again, it appears to be nothing more than a bureaucratic 
snafu based on all of the evidence that I have seen. There is no 
evidence to the contrary. The first time I had learned about it was when 
there was a newspaper article about it, when it broke in the press. I 
knew nothing about it beforehand.
    Q. Who else in the White House knew about it before----
    President Clinton. I don't know that anyone did. I don't know 
anything other than what has been said to you by Mr. Panetta. He looked 
into it. He has all of the facts that any of us know. And so I--I would 
never condone or tolerate any kind of enemies list or anything of that 
kind. I think this is really an honest, bureaucratic mess-up. There was 
a lot of--if you will remember going back to that time, there was a lot 
of interest in whether we had the right sort of credentialing here for 
access to the White House, and I think trying to review that is what 
gave rise to this whole thing.
    I do believe, based on the evidence that we know, it was just an 
innocent, bureaucratic snafu, which is what I've said all along. And I'm 
sorry that it occurred, and I believe that we will correct it. And I 
think the FBI will correct it on their end as well so that nothing like 
this will happen again.
    I'd like now to recognize a European journalist. I'll try to 
alternate between the Americans and the Europeans.

International Trade

    Q. Thank you. Mr. President, the Export Administration Act of 1979 
seems to contradict the Helms-Burton law because it does criticize 
secondary boycotts as a procedure. And that law was established to 
criticize Arab countries that were adopting secondary boycotts against 
Israel. So how do you reconcile this contradiction that seems to be 
happening with the United States at this point?
    And for Mr. Santer, China seems to be a strong target of trade 
sanctions from the United States. They are being considered now, and 
there is a complaint from the United States side that Europe has not 
done enough to help the United States in controlling China. What do you 
have to say to that? There was, yesterday, testimony in Congress 
criticizing directly and strongly Europe for this behavior.
    And finally, Mr. Prodi--[laughter]--STET is under direct attack--it 
is an Italian company--because of the Helms-Burton act. What are you 
doing to protect this Italian company?
    The President. Let me answer first. First of all, there's quite a 
difference between the generalized Arab boycott of Israel, which we have 
worked to bring to an end, simply because Israel existed, and the Helms-
Burton bill, which provides the President some flexibility in its 
administration and which is directed against the only country remaining 
in our hemisphere which is not a democracy and which passed in the 
aftermath of Cuba's flagrant shooting-down of two airplanes, American 
airplanes, in international airspace and killing innocent civilians, 
most of whom were American citizens. And so the two things are entirely 
different.
    I'm very sensitive to the whole question of extraterritoriality. We 
are reviewing that. But we think that the Cuban--the persistent refusal 
of Cuba to move toward democracy or openness and the particular problems 
that causes for countries in our hemisphere and for the United States, 
especially, justified the passage of the bill, which I signed into law.
    Now, they were asked questions, too. I hope they can remember.
    President Santer. The question about China--we have trade relations 
with China. That is not the normal way to go ahead--but I am not aware 
that there could be from our side some questioning about--that's 
incrimination on the European side. I do not know what are the causes 
for this incrimination. We are establishing our trading relation with 
China, as with other countries, on behalf

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of negotiations. And these negotiations have to come to an end, but 
otherwise, I do not see that there would be any harm done through the 
negotiation to the United States in this case.
    Prime Minister Prodi. Concerning the STET case, STET is an Italian 
telephone company who bought shares of a Mexican company owning shares 
of--having Cuban interest. And so they didn't even know about the Cuban 
interest. And so I limited myself to collect news and knowledge about 
the problem, and I think that in due time we shall try to defend our 
interest, because it is a very indirect involvement with Cuba. So I 
didn't even know about that.
    President Clinton. Helen [Helen Thomas, United Press International]?

Bosnia

    Q. Mr. President, you agreed on an election to go forward in Bosnia 
in September. Did you also agree on the pullout date, to stick with 
December as the pullout date for the troops? And why is it that the 
troops don't go after Karadzic and Mladic and bring them before the 
world court? What's the holdup?
    I'd like also the other leaders----
    President Clinton. You might want to ask them that question, but let 
me say, we did not discuss the military operation today. We discussed 
basically the elections and the reconstruction effort.
    I believe that we should stick with our timetable. We believe that 
IFOR can complete its mission in about a year. We believe that it has to 
be in full force during the time of the elections. We believe that it 
has to be an effective military force certainly until December the 20th, 
and then some drawdown can begin after that, but below the level we 
think is necessary to maintain what we believe clearly is required for 
the election.
    On the other question you asked, I would remind you that when the 
IFOR mission went in, they went in with a certain very strict mission, 
and it did not include running down people who were suspected of war 
crimes, but it did include apprehending those with whom our forces came 
in contact. Now, I expect that in the--particularly in some regions 
where there's a lot of movement that has to occur back and forth between 
people trying to return home, visit their homes, visit their relatives, 
there will be more and more vigorous enforcement of that. And I expect 
that if the IFOR troops came in contact with Mr. Karadzic they would do 
what they would do to anybody else suspected of being a war criminal.
    But there's never been part of their mission to go into specific 
communities with the mandate to arrest particular people. That was not 
part of the IFOR mission in the first place.
    Q. But who would be the culprits in this case? I mean, are you going 
to arrest the people who simply carried out orders?
    President Clinton. The IFOR troops can arrest anybody that's been 
charged with a war crime with whom they come in contact. But they are 
not charged with, in effect, being the domestic or the international 
police force and targeting people and going after them. That was not 
part of the agreement of Dayton, and it's a very delicate balance. I 
understand that. But they have arrested some people with whom they have 
come in contact, some people that they have found in the ordinary course 
of doing their jobs. And if that should happen in this case, I would 
expect them to do their duty.
    Do you want to add anything to that?
    President Santer. Mr. President, I have nothing to add to what you 
have said. After tomorrow there will be a conference, a Florence 
conference as implementation of the Dayton peace agreement. We have to 
stick to all of the parts of the Dayton peace agreement, as the 
President said. And I'm coming back from a journey to former Yugoslavia 
with Vice Prime Minister Dini, and to all our partners--we met the 
Presidents of all of the republics--we stated also that they have to 
stick to the implementation of the Dayton peace agreement in all the 
parts. And I think that the conference--the implementation conference of 
tomorrow in Florence would deal also with these subjects.

NATO and Greece and Turkey

    Q. Mr. President, two questions. One is, how do you see the U.S. 
role in the new defense NATO structure as it was agreed in Brussels? And 
secondly, there seems to be

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some heightened tension between Greece and Turkey. I wonder whether this 
was part of your discussion and whether you're personally concerned and 
whether you are going to take any initiative into this matter.
    President Clinton. First of all, I am strongly supportive of the 
general direction taken at the last conversations--at the last meeting 
in Brussels about the evolution of NATO and the possibility of a 
European security unit within NATO.
    I believe the United States should remain as a security partner, a 
political partner, and an economic partner of Europe. I believe that we 
need each other, and I believe the world needs our partnership. And I 
think NATO is a very important part of that. And how we manage the 
development of European security within NATO, how we manage the 
expansion of NATO--all of these are questions that we must resolve by 
working together in good faith. So I'm basically encouraged by what has 
been done so far.
    As to Greece and Turkey, we did not have the opportunity to discuss 
it, but I can tell you that I am very concerned about it. Both those 
nations are our allies and Europe's allies through NATO, and I believe 
that the future of the region which they both occupy will be 
immeasurably brighter if they can resolve their problems and 
immeasurably darker if they cannot.
    And so it's a source of great concern to me, and we have invested 
quite a bit of time on it in the last few months, and I expect to invest 
even more time on it in the months, and if the people decide, in the 
years ahead. I think it's very important--the resolution of the 
difficulties between Greece and Turkey is central to having the kind of 
future for Europe and particularly for the Mediterranean region that we 
want.
    Yes, Brian [Brian Williams, NBC News]?

Church Burnings in the South

    Q. Dick Armey criticized the trip you took today to talk about the 
church burnings in the South, and late today Haley Barbour criticized it 
as well, saying that at best, your motives were political. I wonder if 
you have a reaction to that.
    President Clinton. I think you ought to ask those people that were 
out on that country road in South Carolina today, the people that 
rebuilt their church or that pastor that came up from North Carolina who 
just lost his church. I don't believe they think this is a political 
issue, and I don't think that our country is well served by turning into 
politics what is a very important matter. We should be united together 
across political and racial and religious lines in our determination not 
only to find the people responsible for burning these churches--and one 
mosque also, I might add--but also in sort of pushing back on this 
extremist impulse, this racist impulse, which seems to be at least 
manifesting itself among some people who are involved in these church 
burnings.
    So I think that's what we ought to be talking about--what, as 
Americans, our responsibilities are to stand up against racism, to stand 
up against the desecration of houses of worship. And we should not turn 
this into a political issue; it isn't political and it isn't partisan.
    Press Secretary McCurry. This will be the last question.

Italian Separatist Movement

    Q. Mr. President, you've often mentioned that you like Italy very 
much and perhaps you are going to repeat the same thing to Mr. Prodi 
afterwards in your bilateral. What about if there were not one but two 
Italy, and I'm referring specifically to this possibility of a----
    Prime Minister Prodi. One is enough. [Laughter]
    Q. ----of a secession of, you know, the one in Canada, whatever.
    President Clinton. Well, I took a position on the one in Canada, and 
I don't think I had much to do with the outcome. It was a very close 
race there. But we take no position about the internal affairs of other 
nations. But I thought what the Prime Minister said made a lot of sense: 
One seems to be enough.
    In America, we've tolerated a North and a South for quite a long 
time now. And we tried to split up once, and it didn't work out so well, 
and I wouldn't recommend it to anybody. I think, you know, you just--
[laughter]--it's better to try to just resolve your difficulties and go 
on.

[[Page 1047]]

    Thank you very much.

Senator Trent Lott

    Q. What do you think of Trent Lott taking over?
    President Clinton. Congratulations to him.

Note: The President's 123d news conference began at 4:05 p.m. in Room 
450 of the Old Executive Office Building. The President met with 
President Romano Prodi in his capacity as President of the European 
Council and President Jacques Santer of the European Commission. In his 
remarks, he referred to Bosnia Serb leaders Radovan Karadzic and Ratko 
Mladic. STET is an acronym for the Societa Finanziaria Telefonica, 
S.p.A., an Italian telephone company.