THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

                        REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
          IN PHOTO OPPORTUNITY WITH BULGARIAN PRESIDENT ZHELEV

The Oval Office

5:54 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: I'd like to tell you how delighted I am to welcome President Zhelev and the representatives of his government here. The United States supports the democratic and economic transformation of his country, and we're looking forward to having this visit, and then signing a declaration of principles and a common agenda together. We look forward to working together. And we're very, very pleased to have him and the Ambassador and leaders of the government here.

Q Is Bosnia at the top of your agenda, and the lifting of the embargo? Any move toward that?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I imagine we'll discuss that and a number of other things. But we just started.

Q What is this declaration of principles? Is it just a friendship kind of thing?

THE PRESIDENT: It sort of -- it outlines the basic principles that will govern our relationship, and also sets forward an agenda for how we can work together so that we can support their successes, which is something we want to do.

THE PRESS: Thank you.

Q Life in the old corral.

THE PRESIDENT: What did she say?

THE VICE PRESIDENT: She said, "Life in the old corral." (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: I don't know -- you haven't stay rounded up too well, Helen. (Laughter.) This corral analogy has got its limits. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: We are honored to have President Zhelev and the leaders of the Bulgarian government here today, and I look forward to our conversations and to continuing the support of the United States for the democratic and economic transformations in the country. We are also going to sign a joint declaration in a few moments, setting forth the principles and the specific agenda that we will follow in working together. And I am very, very pleased that the President and the leaders of the government are here.

THE PRESS: Thank you.

END5:57 P.M. EST