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U.S. Department of State 93/02/22 Remarks with Kuwaiti ForMin Sabah, Kuwait Office of the Spokesman Joint remarks by Secretary of State Warren Christopher and Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Shaikh Sabah Kuwait City, Kuwait February 22, 1993 Secretary Christopher: Good morning. Mr. Minister, thank you very much for your warm welcome. Two years ago almost to the day, American soldiers liberated this airport, sealing the commitment of the United States to Kuwait's independence and security. President Clinton sent me here on my first trip outside of the United States to reaffirm that commitment to the people of Kuwait, to our other friends in the [Persian] Gulf, and to any who might be tempted again to pose a threat in this region. I want to take this occasion to stress the importance that the Clinton Administration attaches to the full implementation of all the UN Security Council resolutions relating to Kuwait as well as the measures enacted to monitor and enforce those resolutions. None should doubt the resolve of the United States to see that the will of the United Nations is carried out and carried out fully and completely. Let me be clear about these matters. We bear no ill will to the suffering people of Iraq. We seek no military confrontation, but the pain inflicted on the Iraqi people is the responsibility of [Iraqi President] Saddam Hussein's regime, not the international community. Saddam Hussein's regime is well aware [of] what they must do to meet the requirements of the United Nations, including the requirement that it end the repression of the Iraqi people. Saddam Hussein must know that there is no substitute for full compliance. In this regard, I want to affirm that we will not forget the hundreds of Kuwaitis and others who remain unaccounted for in defiance of UN requirements. No one who has witnessed the vivid scenes of devastation perpetrated on Kuwait by the Saddam Hussein regime could fail to be impressed by the remarkable progress which has been made since the liberation. And those who have stood side by side with Kuwait in rolling back Saddam's aggression will welcome the restoration of Kuwait's active parliamentary system. We hope to see further steps in this direction of democratization. On behalf of President Clinton, let me say how glad I am to have an opportunity to come here and to underscore in person the President's commitment to our continued obligations with respect to security and stability in the region. Our friends can rest assured that the United States will be with them in the future as we have been in the past. As long as the people of this region are subject to the threat of aggression, our friends can rely on the steadfast vigilance of the United States. Thank you very much, Mr. Minister, again for welcoming me here. I am very pleased to be here for a stay that is much too short but, nevertheless, is meaningful to me. Thank you, Mr. Minister. Foreign Minister Shaikh Sabah (Kuwaiti translation): I am pleased to welcome His Excellency, Warren Christopher, the Foreign Minister of the United States. I am pleased as well to praise, on this occasion, the excellent relations binding two friendly countries and to laud the stand of both President Clinton and the US Administration that supports the Kuwaiti just causes and [that] truly reflect[s] the extent of the US awareness of its role and its international responsibilities and the respect of the principles of justice and right. We should keep in mind the respect of the great role that the United States has played and still [plays] with all peace-loving countries in the world to establish peace and stability in the world. [There is] no doubt that this tour by His Excellency in the Middle East represents the true and constructive role of the United States as a great power and its belief in its obligations toward defending international peace and security. This visit comes while our area still [is] suffering the consequences of the brutal Iraqi aggression as a result of Iraqi regime reluctance and obstinacy in implementing the [UN] Security Council resolution[s] related to its aggression against the state of Kuwait--in particular, those related to the Kuwaiti POWs [prisoners of war] and detainees and [to] the repeated violations by that regime to the inviolability of the international Kuwait borders and his [that regime's] continuance of false claims against Kuwait. This visit is considered a good opportunity to have consultations about the current situation in the Gulf area, due to the common faith that the security in this area is an integral part of the security and stability in accord[ance] with international resolutions [and] is an important and vital factor in [the] peace-making process in the world. We are looking to have fruitful relations with the visiting [delegation], just aiming at serving the interests of our two friendly countries and enforcing the international position and its solidarity in standing against [the] Iraqi regime, which [in] its continuity in power represents a deviation from the simplest international norms and regulations and a direct threat to the international peace and security. (###)