THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN PHOTO OPPORTUNITY WITH FOREIGN MINISTER ANDRE KOZYREV The Oval Office
4:54 P.M. EDT
Q Mr. President, is there anything the United States can now do to bring peace in Bosnia since the Bosnian parliament has voted against the peace plan?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, you know, this process -- this goes on day by day. We're just going to have to see what happens. They want some more territory -- you know, I think they're entitled to some more territory, but I don't know if they can get it. I think that the price of passing up this peace may be very high. And I think they'll probably consider that over the next few days. But we'll just have to wait and see what happens. We haven't had time to examine what our options are.
Q Is the only alternative more war?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, that's up to them. All of them.
Q Are you encouraging them then to accept this treaty, or do you think that they should go ahead with their demands for more?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I have encouraged them to try to make peace. That's what I've encouraged them to try to do. I hate to see another winter come on for all of them there. But that's a decision they'll have to make -- their country, their lives --they'll have to make the decision.
Q Sir, what assurances are you hoping to receive from Mr. Kozyrev about the situation, and what message might you be sending to Mr. Yeltsin through him?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think he's already given the assurances that all of us hope. They're doing everything they can to preserve peace. And there's a commitment by President Yeltsin to move to a truly democratic system, through truly democratic means. That's about all the United States, or anyone else could ask for.
Q Mr. President, one more question. Is this meeting of yours with the Russian Foreign Minister, is this meeting of yours a meeting of support or is it a meeting of concern?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, it's a meeting of support. I'm concerned about events in the sense that I hope they go well, and I hope that everything works out all right. But I am firmly in support of the efforts that President Yeltsin is making to hold democratic elections for a legislative body and to have a new constitution and to present himself for election again. I think that the United States clearly has an interest in promoting democracy and reform in Russia.
And as you know, I have aggressively supported efforts in our Congress to get more aid for the process of reform and for economic opportunity in Russia, and I will continue to do that.
END4:57 P.M. EDT