THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

                       REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
             IN PHOTO OPPORTUNITY WITH PRESIDENT ARISTIDE
                  AND PRIME MINISTER MALVAL OF HAITI
             
                           The Oval Office

6:45 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: I would like to make a statement first. I want to welcome President Aristide back to the White House and also welcome Prime Minister Malval here for the first time, and the other people associated with the effort to bring democracy back to Haiti.

I want to reaffirm the support of the United States for the democratic impulses of Haiti and for the return of President Aristide. I'd also like to compliment Prime Minister Malval on his announcement today of his intention to remain on after December 15th as acting Prime Minister and to try to revitalize and broaden the talks in Haiti within the framework of the Governors Island Agreement. The United States will support this Haitian initiative and seek the support of the U.N. and the OAS. We have no reason to believe that they will not also be supportive, and so we are looking forward to discussing that. They just got here and we're going to have discussion about that.

Q Besides the sanctions, what steps are you willing to take to help restore democracy to Haiti.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, let's wait until we have a meeting here. We're going to have a discussion about all those things, and there will be more to say about that.

Q How about North Korea then, Mr. President? Did you come to any decision in your meeting today?

THE PRESIDENT: We worked through the problem, and at the end of the meeting I authorized our folks to go back to the South Koreans and our allies, and I expect to have a talk with President Kim in the next -- sometime in the next 24 hours. We'll talk a little more about it then. I want to talk to them before I say more.

END6:47 P.M. EST