US DEPARTMENT OF STATE DISPATCH
VOLUME 4, NUMBER 10, MARCH 8, 1993
PUBLISHED BY THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE:
1.  US-UK Special Relationship -- President Clinton, UK Prime Minister 
Major 
2.  US-Russia Summit and Invitations To Middle East Peace Talks 
Announced -- Secretary Christopher, Russian Foreign Minister Kozyrev 
3.  Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict 
4.  Statement at Confirmation Hearing -- Peter Tarnoff 
5.  White House Statements
      President Meets With NATO Secretary General 
      Repatriation Policy for Haitian Asylum-Seekers
6.  Department Statements
     Hostages Held in Zaire
     Chinese Treatment of Foreign Journalists 

ARTICLE 1:

US-UK Special Relationship
President Clinton, UK Prime Minister Major
Opening remarks at a news conference, Washington, DC, February 24, 1993 

President Clinton:  Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.  I want to 
formally welcome Prime Minister Major to the White House and to the 
United States.  We are delighted to have him here.  As I'm sure you 
know, he has already met earlier today with people on [Capitol] Hill and 
with members of my Cabinet.  We have just finished the first of two 
meetings.  We talked for about an hour, and then, this evening, we'll 
have a working dinner.

About the conversations we've had so far, I'd just like to make two 
points.  First, we covered a wide range of topics.  We talked about 
Bosnia, as you might imagine we would.  We talked about the Middle East.  
And then the rest of our time was spent virtually exclusively talking 
about economic matters--about the upcoming meeting of the G-7 [Group of 
Seven leading industrialized nations]; about the importance of trying to 
get an agreement under GATT  [the General Agreement on Tariffs and 
Trade] and my commitment to that; about the absolute necessity of the 
United States, Europe, and Japan working together during this difficult 
time to try to prevent a contraction of the global economy and instead 
to, hopefully, promote growth, not only here at home but throughout the 
world.  And we talked about that in some considerable detail.

The Prime Minister, as you know, has been in office a lot longer than I 
have.  And I asked him for his advice about a number of things and his 
opinion about others.  We had a very, very good meeting, and I'm looking 
forward to our dinner tonight.

A second point I would like to make reaffirms something that some of you 
asked me during the photo opportunity, and that is whether the United 
States will continue to have a very special relationship with Great 
Britain.  The answer to that from my point of view is an unqualified 
yes.  I think that only two presidents ever lived in England--I think 
I'm one of only two; there may have been more somewhere in the past 
centuries.  But this is a very important relationship to me, and I think 
it's off to a very good start.  And I would like to say again how much I 
appreciate the candor with which the Prime Minister has approached the 
issues [and] with which we've discussed our mutual interests.  Mr. Prime 
Minister.


Prime Minister Major:  Mr. President, firstly, thank you for your 
welcome today.  I've found our meeting extremely useful, and I look 
forward to continuing it this evening.  And I certainly had some very 
useful meetings this morning on the Hill and with other members of your 
Cabinet earlier this morning, with [Treasury Secretary] Lloyd Bentsen 
and, of course, over lunch  as well with some of your colleagues.

It's nice, having had a number of telephone conversations over the last 
few months, to actually see a face across the table rather than just 
hear a voice across the phone.  And I look forward to continuing that 
dialogue this evening.

You set out some of the things we were able to discuss over the last 
hour or so.  I was particularly pleased we were able to reach such a 
meeting of minds on the importance of reaching an agreement to the 
Uruguay Round [of GATT] as speedily as possible.  I think we share the 
view that for a raft of reasons it's important to get a satisfactory and 
fair agreement to the GATT round, not just because of the impetus that 
will give to trade growth and, hopefully, to prosperity and job growth 
as well, but also because of the very remarkable advantage that will 
give not just to the industrialized but to the non-industrialized world 
with the many difficulties that are faced economically at the moment.  
So I was particularly pleased at our meeting of minds on that particular 
subject.

We found also a complete agreement about the need for the [UN] Security 
Council resolutions that have been imposed in respect to Iraq to be 
fully met and to be fully honored in the future.  I had the pleasure of 
being able to welcome the President's initiative of humanitarian 
airdrops in Bosnia.  The United Kingdom--we've got a number of thousands 
of troops actually delivering humanitarian aid in central Bosnia.  
They've been doing that for some time.  I think as a result of their 
activities, many people who otherwise might not have lived through this 
winter have done [so].  And I think this new initiative by the President 
is thoroughly welcome.  So it's been a very worthwhile and a very 
enjoyable meeting thus far, and I look forward to continuing it this 
evening. (###)



ARTICLE 2:

US-Russia Summit and Invitations To Middle East Peace Talks Announced


Secretary Christopher, Russian Foreign Minister Kozyrev
Opening statements at a news conference, Geneva, Switzerland, February 
25, 1993

Foreign Minister Kozyrev (through interpreter):  Ladies and gentlemen, I 
would like, in the first place, to express my satisfaction with the very 
businesslike meeting that we had, especially with the fact that it was 
not just a get-acquainted session--although, of course, I am quite happy 
to meet personally the Secretary and also with the atmosphere that we 
developed right from the very outset.  But I am also satisfied with the 
very businesslike discussion that we've just had.

This meeting made it possible for us to see once again that in the 
multipolar world that we live now, Russia and the United States, instead 
of confronting each other, are in a position to realize the partnership 
relationship and the cooperative relationship that has been already 
agreed to.

And a major event that would make it possible to broaden that 
cooperation, to remove all artificial delays, and to accelerate it would 
be a summit meeting of the two Presidents.  At least we agreed--and this 
is something that we want to recommend to the two Presidents--that the 
summit meeting take place [on] April the 4th.

I can tell you that this date has been suggested by the US side.  The US 
side also suggested several other dates--earlier dates--but we believe 
that the meeting calls for additional preparation; therefore, we picked 
out of the dates suggested by the US side a later date so [that], we 
believe, it could be better prepared.

We also agreed that we would proceed forthwith with preparations for the 
summit meeting on all levels, including a possibility--if there is a 
need for that--of an additional meeting between the two of us.

We discussed several questions related, among other things, to the fact 
that the two sides are now concentrating on their domestic economic 
situation.  But this is not to suggest that there is less interest in 
cooperation between the two sides.  On the contrary, we believe that 
cooperation and assistance to Russian reforms is in the agenda--in the 
domestic agenda--of the two countries.

We also discussed the possibility for and the need for strategic 
cooperation, including:

--  Opening access to markets;
--  State support of investment;
--  Promoting the rescheduling of Russia's external debt; [and]
--  The possibility of Russia gaining access to conventional arms 
markets--of course, under the condition that there would be full 
compliance with the existing international norms and standards.

We also discussed situations in several flash points, and I appreciate 
the fact that the Secretary of State shared some of the information that 
he brought back from his trip to the Middle East.  And I must also note 
that that trip has resulted in some positive movement in the direction 
in which we intend  to move further as co-sponsors--that is, the 
direction of the peace process.  And I believe that [the] Secretary will 
have a few words to say on his trip.

I can tell you that there is a symbolic coincidence in our bilateral 
movement, although from Geneva we intend to go in different geographic 
directions.  I'm leaving for Copenhagen [Denmark] and [the] Secretary 
for Brussels [Belgium].  But Brussels is the headquarters of the 
European Economic Community and NATO, while Copenhagen--and Denmark--is 
the coordinator of the European Economic Community.  Therefore, in the 
political sense, we will be moving in the same direction--that is, the 
direction of broader European cooperation.


Secretary Christopher:  Thank you very much, Mr. Minister.  Foreign 
Minister Kozyrev and I have had a very good and, as he said, a 
businesslike session.  I believe we have established a good working 
relationship, building on our prior contacts and building on contacts 
between Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin.  We've been in touch quite 
frequently and have been since the first days of our new Administration.

Our meeting today has set the stage for a summit between the two 
Presidents.  As the Minister said, we are pleased to announce that 
Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin will be meeting together on the 4th of 
April at a site to [be] mutually agreed upon during the interregnum 
between now and then.  President Clinton sent me to this meeting today 
to underscore his strong personal support for the reform policies of the 
Yeltsin Administration.  It is of the utmost importance to the United 
States and, indeed, to the world that President Yeltsin's reform efforts 
succeed.  A strong and cooperative US-Russian relationship, a 
relationship of genuine partnership, is of the highest priority for 
President Clinton and his Administration.

The United States and Russia have important interests in common.  Today, 
as Minister Kozyrev and I prepared the ground for the summit, we 
discussed a full range of these common interests.  I gave Minister 
Kozyrev a thumbnail sketch of my trip to seven Middle East countries, 
and we discussed the respective consultations that I've had with the 
parties in those countries.  It is an important beginning for our 
relationship--a very hopeful reflection on what the partnership may 
mean--that Mr. Kozyrev and I today are able to jointly announce that we 
will be extending invitations for the ninth round of the bilateral Arab-
Israeli negotiations, to be held in Washington [DC] during the month of 
April.

We also exchanged views on the continuing bloodshed and suffering in the 
former Yugoslavia, and we explored ways to promote a peaceful settlement 
there.  We are committed, both of us and our governments, to consulting 
and coordinating very carefully and closely in pursuit of that goal.  In 
addition to the matters I've mentioned, we also dealt with questions of 
arms control, including the important matter of proliferation.  And we 
discussed economic cooperation, which can serve our mutual interests.

The United States is determined to support the cause of reform in 
Russia.  It is in the interest of the world as well as being in the 
interest of the Russian people.   (###)



ARTICLE 3:

Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
Joint US-Russian statement, Geneva, Switzerland, February 25, 1993.

The Russian Federation and the United States of America confirm their 
determination to continue efforts within the CSCE [Conference on 
Security and Cooperation in Europe]-sponsored Minsk Group to obtain a 
peaceful settlement to the conflict on and around Nagorno-Karabakh.  The 
course of events once again demonstrates the danger for the Armenian and 
Azeri peoples of any attempt to settle the conflict by military means.

All sides should look to remove obstacles to serious negotiations within 
the framework of the CSCE Minsk Conference on Nagorno-Karabakh with the 
participation of all interested parties.  Only a compromise political 
agreement on the basis of mutual concessions and mutual benefit can be 
strong and durable enough to bring peace and stability back to this 
region.

Russia and the United States strongly appeal to all parties to the 
conflict to accept their historic responsibility for the destiny of 
their peoples and to demonstrate the political will to settle the 
conflict solely through peaceful means.  The most important task now is 
to put an immediate end to the bloodshed.

They urge the conflicting parties, as a gesture of goodwill and as the 
first step toward overcoming mutual distrust, voluntarily to refrain 
from offensive operations in Nagorno-Karabakh and neighboring areas and 
to stop the use of military aviation and missile-artillery systems, the 
employment of which causes needless civilian casualties.  Russia and the 
United States await a positive response to this proposal. (###)



ARTICLE 4:

Statement at Confirmation Hearing
Peter Tarnoff, Under Secretary for Political Affairs-Designate
Opening statement before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, 
Washington, DC, March 4, 1993

Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee, it is an honor and a privilege 
for me to appear before you as President Clinton's nominee for Under 
Secretary of State for Political Affairs.

Mr. Chairman, as you know, the Administration, the Congress, and the 
country face a very different set of international challenges compared 
to those we have successfully confronted in the last half-century.  
Thanks to our steadfast and bipartisan opposition to international 
communism, our promotion of democracy and human rights, our resolute 
commitment to military preparedness, and the vitality of our economic 
systems, the West--led by the United States--has prevailed over our 
former adversaries in what came to be known as the Cold War.

However, our success compels us to change how we conduct the business of 
foreign affairs.  Secretary Christopher has spoken to you about our 
changed priorities:  harnessing America's influence abroad to improve 
the quality of life at home and fostering the spread of free thought, 
free association, and free markets around the world.  My role, today, is 
not to repeat his objectives but to talk to you about how I, as the 
Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, would help fulfill them.

Doing Business Differently
To meet the challenges we face today, we will have to change how we go 
about formulating foreign policy and how the Department of State goes 
about implementing it.  First, we will need to begin to practice the 
politics of inclusion in formulating policy:

--  By including America's domestic priorities, like free trade, open 
markets, and a clean and safe environment, high on our policy agenda;

--  By including the counsel of leaders of business, labor, 
environmental, human rights, and other private organizations in our 
deliberations; and

--  By including the Congress through meaningful and close consultations 
between us, so we can ensure that our foreign policy objectives serve 
the best interests of the American people.

Second, we need to reshape the Department of State so it can effectively 
implement our foreign policy.  Deputy Secretary Wharton has described 
the new structure of the Department.  I would like to outline what my 
role would be in this new structure.

The Role of the Under Secretary For Political Affairs
As the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, my primary task 
would be to assist Secretary Christopher and Deputy Secretary Wharton in 
fulfilling our country's foreign policy objectives.  The emphasis will 
be on team work.  The men and women whom President Clinton has 
designated to lead the State Department know each other--and the leaders 
of the other agencies concerned with foreign affairs--very well.  I 
served under Secretary Christopher when he was Deputy Secretary.  Clif 
Wharton, Strobe Talbott, and I know each other from the Board of the 
Council on Foreign Relations, and the other Under Secretaries-designate-
-Lynn Davis, Tim Wirth, Joan Spero, Brian Atwood--and I are old friends.  
Although there may be differences of opinion among us, I am confident 
that our basic sense of mutual trust will serve the Department well.

The Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs oversees the 
coordination of our bilateral relationships.  My responsibility would be 
to work closely with the Assistant Secretaries for Regional Affairs and 
International Organizations to see that our policies are developed 
creatively and then faithfully implemented.

I will also do my best to ensure that the conduct of these relations is 
well integrated with our global policy objectives.  Today, many of 
America's vital national interests transcend national borders, such as 
promoting human rights and democracy, fostering economic cooperation, or 
countering threats from weapons proliferation and terrorism.  The 
Department's under secretaries and the assistant secretaries who support 
them will coordinate their activities closely, all of us recognizing 
that no single issue now determines our bilateral relationship with most 
other nations.

My Contribution to the Team
The role of the Under Secretary for State for Political Affairs would 
require me to be familiar with all of the principal policy issues the 
Department will face as well as the countries which affect our interests 
and the foreign leaders who are instrumental in matters of importance to 
the United States

Regarding my own qualifications, I feel that I have been preparing for 
this position for all of my adult life.  Immediately after college and 
graduate school, from 1961 until 1982, I was a career Foreign Service 
officer at the Department of State.  I had a wonderfully fulfilling 
personal and professional experience during that period, serving in 
Africa, Asia, and Europe as well as in Washington.  For several years I 
worked directly for Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge, and, during my last 
assignment in Washington, I was the Executive Secretary of the 
Department and Special Assistant to Secretaries Vance and Muskie.  I 
also have a keen appreciation for the high quality of the men and women 
of the Department of State, and I will devote a good part of my 
attention to the need to streamline its operations so as to better serve 
America's new and traditional interests around the world.

For the past 10 years, I have analyzed US foreign policy from a 
perspective outside government:  first at the World Affairs Council of 
Northern California in San Francisco and then at the Council on Foreign 
Relations in New York.  It was enormously valuable for me to be able to 
reflect on questions of American foreign policy from a vantage point in 
the private sector.  In San Francisco and New York, my work involved 
discussing these issues with representatives of business, labor, the 
universities, and the communications industry, as well as with countless 
public and private foreign leaders whom I met both at home and abroad.  
Over the years, I learned to appreciate the enormous diversity of 
America's foreign interests and the deep reserves of talent available in 
this country to help chart our nation's course in the post-Cold War era.

The Importance of Political Consensus and Open Debate
As I stated earlier, a strong bipartisan consensus firmly based on the 
support of an informed public was the foundation for the success of 
American foreign policy in defeating the military and ideological threat 
of communism.  This was achieved by previous administrations in part as 
a result of close consultation and cooperation between the executive 
branch and Congress.  Real consultation, with this committee and this 
Congress, will be a hallmark of this Administration and its Department 
of State.

I regard this consultation as extremely valuable to those in policy-
making positions.  In my 20 years of service in the State Department--
under Democratic and Republican presidents--and 10 years in the private 
sector, I have learned to respect the advice of Americans in all walks 
of life and the views of public and private thinkers on both sides of 
the aisle.  I will actively seek out their counsel for several reasons:

First, I have seen that where America's international interests are 
concerned, there is considerable bipartisan consensus on our policy 
objectives;

Second, I know well that no party and no individual has a monopoly on 
creativity or common sense; and

Third, I have seen that there is great benefit to encouraging full and 
free debate on policy means and ends.  Some views will not win the day, 
and others may prove, in hindsight, to have been less than far-sighted.  
But that is the price--well worth paying--of open discussion, and that, 
of course, is also the American way.

For my part, I look forward to encouraging such debate and candor among 
the fine and diverse minds in the Foreign Service and the Civil Service 
in the Department of State, and I would expect the same degree of 
openness from this committee.

Let me thank you once again for this privilege and promise you that I 
would work closely with this committee and the Congress in helping to 
fashion a foreign policy which serves our nation's interests and ideals.  
(###)



ARTICLE 5:

White House Statements

President Meets With NATO Secretary General
Statement by White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers, Washington, DC, 
March 2, 1993.

The President welcomed NATO Secretary General Manfred Woerner to the 
White House today.  The President reaffirmed the fundamental importance 
of NATO and the trans-Atlantic relationship and his commitment to 
maintaining a significant American military presence in Europe to defend 
the interests of the United States and its allies and friends.

The President and Secretary General Woerner discussed the crisis in the 
former Yugoslavia and what actions NATO could take to support the 
efforts of the international community to bring that tragedy to a 
peaceful conclusion.

In addition, the President and Secretary General Woerner discussed the 
ongoing work in NATO to develop the alliance's peace-keeping 
capabilities in support of the United Nations and the CSCE [Conference 
on Security and Cooperation in Europe] and with the involvement of 
NATO's partners in the North Atlantic Cooperation Council.

The President thanked Secretary General Woerner for his continued 
stewardship of the Atlantic alliance and looks forward to working 
closely with him in continuing to adapt the alliance to meet the common 
challenges of the future.


Repatriation Policy For Haitian Asylum-Seekers
Statement by White House Director of Communications George 
Stephanopoulos, Washington, DC, March 2, 1993.

Today, the Supreme Court heard arguments concerning the current 
repatriation policy regarding Haitian asylum-seekers.  At that time, the 
Justice Department supported the President's legal authority to carry 
out the practice of direct return.  The President believes [that] it is 
essential that he retain the ability to implement such measures when 
exceptional circumstances demand.

The current practice of direct returns is based on the President's 
conviction that it is necessary to avert a humanitarian tragedy that 
could result from a large boat exodus.  Hundreds, if not thousands, 
could lose their lives in overloaded, unseaworthy vessels if the United 
States reversed the practice of direct return precipitously.

At the same time, the President regards the current practice of direct 
return as a policy for exceptional circumstances.  It is continually 
under review and will be adjusted when conditions permit.

In addition, the President is taking a series of initiatives to promote 
human rights and democratization in Haiti and to enhance the safety and 
well-being of those who have reason to fear persecution.

First, the Clinton Administration strongly has supported the negotiating 
process undertaken by the United Nations and the Organization of 
American States (UN/OAS) and has urged other nations, both within and 
outside the hemisphere, to provide diplomatic and financial support to 
the UN/OAS effort.  A UN/OAS civilian monitoring team now is being 
deployed in Haiti.  We hope and expect that their presence will create 
an atmosphere conducive to respect for human rights and political 
dialogue, including progress on a settlement to this crisis.

The President will continue efforts to move the negotiating process 
forward as expeditiously as possible, leading to the restoration of 
constitutional government and the return of [Haitian] President 
Aristide.  President Clinton will meet with President Aristide on March 
16 to review the progress that has been achieved and the challenges that 
lie ahead.

Second, the President is committed to enhancing the safety and well-
being of those in Haiti who have reason to fear reprisal for their 
political activities and affiliations and has taken a number of actions 
to improve in-country processing of Haitian refugees--the procedures by 
which Haitians may apply in Haiti  for refugee status and resettlement 
in the United States.

Shortly after January 20, the President directed that US officials 
double our capacity for the interviewing of refugee applicants in Haiti 
by officials of the Immigration and Naturalization Service [INS].  The 
President also directed the State Department to send a technical mission 
to Haiti to develop detailed proposals for:

--  More rapid refugee processing;
--  Making it easier for Haitians outside Port-au-Prince to apply for 
refugee status and US resettlement; and
--  Enhancing the safety of the repatriation process for returnees.

Since return of the technical team, we have streamlined procedures and 
added staff in Port-au-Prince and have reduced considerably the 
processing time for refugee applications in Haiti.  We have already 
developed the capacity to reduce processing time for high-priority cases 
from 2 months or more to about 7 working days.

The technical team, which also included congressional staff and 
representatives from the INS, made a series of additional 
recommendations for improvements in procedures, including:

--  The addition of personnel at the US Refugee Processing Center in 
Haiti to serve as liaison with human rights groups and as a resource for 
INS adjudicators;

--  Procedures for identifying those who may be especially at risk; and
--  The establishment of processing centers outside Port-au-Prince to 
enhance access to the program for Haitians throughout Haiti.

Based on these and other recommendations made by the team, the President 
has directed that US officials implement further improvements in the 
process.  To accomplish these goals, the President is authorizing 
expenditure of up to $5 million from the Emergency Refugee and Migration 
Assistance fund.

The United States has been in the forefront of refugee protection around 
the world.  We will continue to play this important role in the years to 
come.  (###)



ARTICLE 6:

Department Statements

Hostages Held in Zaire  
Statement by Acting Department Spokesman Joseph Snyder, Washington, DC, 
February 25, 1993.

Since yesterday, Zairian troops in Kinshasa have been holding hostage 
the members of the High Council, demanding that they reverse a 
government decision demonetizing controversial banknotes.  Meanwhile, 
members of the military high command have denounced the President of the 
High Council, Archbishop Monsengwo.

These actions constitute a severe threat to the democratic process in 
Zaire, a process which the United States has consistently supported.  
Zaire's economic crisis is the cause of the government's inability to 
pay the army and of the recent military rioting.  This crisis can only 
be solved by allowing the transition government to function free from 
presidential interference.

We call on President Mobutu immediately to instruct his military 
commanders to release the High Council and allow the transition process 
to continue.  The US Government and world opinion will hold him 
responsible for the lives and welfare of those being held.


Chinese Treatment Of Foreign Journalists
Statement by Department Spokesman Richard Boucher, Washington, DC, March 
2, 1993.

Last June, ABC News correspondent Todd Carrel was among several foreign 
journalists beaten and detained by Chinese police while covering the 
anniversary of the 1989 crackdown in Tiananmen Square.

On February 25, 1993, a spokesman for the Chinese Government stated that 
Carrel and his colleagues had gone to Tiananmen Square last year for 
"illegal reporting activities" and had been attacked by "indignant" 
Chinese citizens before being "rescued" by police.  This Chinese 
statement came after the Foreign Correspondents Club of Beijing recently 
renewed its protest over the incident, having received no reply to its 
original letter to the Chinese Government.

The journalists were covering a news story in conformity with recognized 
international practice.  At the time of the incident, we protested 
strongly both in Beijing and Washington, DC, as did other foreign 
correspondents in Beijing.  We understand Mr. Carrel has not recovered 
from injuries received during the beating and still has difficulty 
walking.  We reject this latest Chinese statement, which is not 
consistent with the facts.

In our discussions with the Chinese Government, we have pressed them not 
to interfere with the ability of journalists to report openly on events 
in China and to observe international standards concerning the treatment 
of journalists as they carry out their responsibilities to report the 
news.  We will continue to raise this issue. (###)

END OF DISPATCH VOL 4, NO 10