    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 33, Number 4 (Monday, January 27, 1997)]
    [Pages 87-89]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks Following Discussions With United Nations Secretary-General Kofi
    Annan and an Exchange With Reporters

    January 23, 1997

        The President. Good afternoon. Secretary-General and your
    distinguished staff, Mr. Vice President, Madam Secretary.
        The President of the United States must exercise the leadership of
    our country for peace and freedom, for security and prosperity in the
    world. When we must, we will act alone. But when we can, we must work
    with others to spread the cost and the risks of engagement and to make
    our own leadership more effective.
        The United Nations is critical in advancing the progress and peace
    of the world. It vaccinates children against disease, helps refugees to
    stay safe and go home, teaches farmers how to grow good crops, guards
    against the spread of nuclear weapons. And from Angola to the Middle
    East, UN peacekeepers are giving diplomacy a chance to work and peace a
    chance to take hold.
        That is the kind of burden-sharing we need to seize the promise and
    meet the perils of a world growing ever closer together. That's why last
    year I believed so strongly that the

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    United Nations needed new leadership, a Secretary-General who could
    rebuild the institution to take on the challenges of the future.
        I am very pleased that the UN chose Kofi Annan for the job. He is a
    man who shares that vision and is clearly prepared to act, an
    experienced diplomat, a proven reformer, a man committed to a
    revitalized United Nations, one that upholds its timeless mission but
    that adapts to new times.
        We had a good discussion. We talked about the need to put the UN
    back on sound financial footing. That will demand far-reaching reform,
    the elimination of waste, streamlining staff, wiping out overlap and
    abuse. The Secretary-General and I agree that the UN must pursue this
    course of reform. It's clear to me that he is prepared and determined to
    get the job done.
        As the UN moves to reform, it must know also that the United States
    is prepared to pay its way. In the weeks ahead, I will be working with
    Congress to reach an agreement through which America can pay our arrears
    to the UN, meet our obligations, and continue to spur real progress. We
    cannot expect to lead through the United Nations unless we are prepared
    to pay our own way and to pay what we owe as they do what they should
    along the path of reform. As long as the United States does its part--as
    long as the United Nations does its part, we simply have to be prepared
    to pay our debts and to pay our dues.
        Today we are proud as Americans to stand as the indispensable
    nation, the world's leading force for peace and freedom and security and
    prosperity. But we cannot sustain our leadership or, more importantly,
    our goals for a better world, alone. And we cannot sustain it by words
    alone. Our well-being at home depends upon our engagement around the
    world. We have to have the resources to meet that challenge and to
    assume the responsibilities of leadership. Meeting our commitment to the
    United Nations is a crucial part of that task, and I might say also, on
    Secretary Albright's first day in office, adequately funding our foreign
    policy operations through the State Department and our other diplomatic
    missions is also a critical part of that task.
        I'm very encouraged that the Secretary-General will be meeting with
    congressional leaders during his visit here to Washington. I look
    forward to working with the Congress and with the Secretary-General to
    renew the United Nations for the century ahead, and I'm very glad that
    he is the first leader that I have met with after my Inauguration.
        Mr. Secretary-General, would you like to say a few words? Welcome to
    Washington.

    [At this point, Secretary-General Annan made brief remarks.]

        The President. Thank you very much.

    U.S. Debt to the United Nations

        Q. Mr. President, why did you wait so long to want to pay back your
    debts? And is it conditional on reforms?
        The President. First of all, I wanted to pay it back all along. Our
    budget will actually have a plan to pay it back and to pay it back in a
    prompt fashion. As a practical matter, I know from consulting with the
    Members of Congress that we won't be able to secure support in the
    Congress for paying the arrears unless they're convinced that reform is
    going forward.
        But you know, the United States has been, I think, very fortunate to
    have hosted the United Nations since its creation, to have supported it
    and worked with it in ways large and small. And we have been immensely
    benefited by the burden-sharing and humanitarian work that the United
    Nations has done. So I am determined to see that we pay our way. And I
    think it's a part of--I'll say again, it's a part of having the proper
    attitude toward our foreign policy operations in general.
        I'm gratified that Secretary Albright and Secretary Cohen were
    confirmed yesterday. I hope that Bill Richardson and Tony Lake will be
    promptly confirmed so we can put our whole foreign policy team on the
    field and go to work. But we have to recognize that our diplomacy and
    our leadership cannot be through the defense budget alone. We also have
    to have an adequate diplomatic budget to do the work that has to be
    done. And that is--a part of that is paying our UN way.

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        Q. Mr. President, what do you think about----
        Q. Mr. President, if you put the UN on a scale of 1 to 10, where
    would you place it?
        The President. Rising rapidly. [Laughter]

    Canada-Cuba Trade Agreement

        Q. What do you think about Canada's trade deal with Cuba?
        The President. Excuse me?
        Q. Canada's trade deal with Cuba?
        The President. What about it?
        Q. What is your reaction to it? Do you have any?
        The President. Well, my reaction is I'm gratified that the
    Canadians, along with the Europeans, are now talking more to the Cubans
    about human rights and democratic reforms. I'm skeptical, frankly, that
    it will--that the recent discussions between the Canadians and the
    Cubans will lead to advances. I believe that our policy is the proper
    one, but I'm glad that the Canadians are trying to make something good
    happen in Cuba.

    U.S. Debt to the United Nations

        Q. Gentlemen, would the two of you like to have a common strategy
    about how to get a reluctant Congress to give up this money?
        The President. Well, I think we have common interests there. I've
    already told you that I'm utterly convinced that the Secretary-General
    has a chance to genuinely reform the United Nations for the 21st century
    because he is committed to do it and because he and his team have the
    capacity to do it. And I think all that remains is for him to establish
    an appropriate relationship with our Congress. And I think he'll do it
    and do quite well with it. And we don't need to coordinate a strategy
    for that. No secret here, we've told you everything we've just said in
    there.
        Thank you very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:21 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House.