[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 33, Number 28 (Monday, July 14, 1997)]
[Page 1054]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Exchange With Reporters Prior to Discussions With President Emil 
Constantinescu of Romania in Bucharest

July 11, 1997

Romania

    Q. Mr. President, are you going to tell the Romanian President when 
Romania will be taken into NATO? [Laughter]
    The President. She's been doing this quite a long while. She's 
better at it than we are. [Laughter]
    Q. What do you think of your reception, Mr. President?
    The President. It was wonderful seeing all the people in the 
streets, and we're very, very glad to be here. It's quite impressive 
what they have accomplished here in Romania in such a short time. And I 
think you see it from the spirit of the people in the streets, their 
devotion to freedom. It's a great tribute to the President and the 
Government, and I'm looking forward to this.

Mars Pathfinder Spacecraft

    Q. What do you hear from Mars? [Laughter]
    The President. Going okay.

Bosnia

    Q. Mr. President, is the situation in Bosnia calm? I mean, have you 
any reports?
    The President. So far, yes. We have no reports to the contrary.
    Q. Are you sorry they didn't get the big guys?
    The President. Well, I think what was done was appropriate and 
within the SFOR mandate. The people were under sealed indictment and 
they came in regular contact with the SFOR forces there. And that's 
plainly within the mandate. The British sector, they were prepared to do 
that and we helped them to remove the people who were arrested to the 
War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague and I think it was the right thing to 
do.

Note: The exchange began at 12:48 p.m. at the Cotroceni Palace. A tape 
was not available for verification of the content of this exchange.