THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release November 9, 1995

                 TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
            TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
               AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE
                         ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

November 9, 1995

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. Chairman:)

As required by section 229(a) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 (Public Law 103-236), I am submitting the enclosed Fiscal Year 1994 report, International Exchange and Training Activities of the U.S. Government, prepared by the United States Information Agency (USIA) in coordination with the Vice President's National Performance Review.

United States Government educational, cultural, scientific, and professional exchange and training programs enhance communication and understanding between the United States and other societies. They are among our more effective tools to achieve long and intermediate range objectives of U.S. foreign policy.

The enclosed report summarizes the work of 38 departments and agencies engaged in international exchange and training totaling more than 123,000 exchange participants. The report includes foreign area summaries as well as individual country data profiles. In Fiscal Year 1994, these programs were funded at $2.2 billion, including $1.6 billion in Federal support and $600 million in private sector and foreign government contributions.

It is important that international exchanges and training programs be administered in a manner that not only ensures clarity of objectives, but also has a system of measurements to review its outcomes and its cost effectiveness. My report to you on the extent to which such activities are duplicative requires additional time for analysis by the Vice President's National Performance Review.

My Administration will continue to work with the Congress to realize our shared goals of improving efficiency and reducing costs.

Sincerely,

WILLIAM J. CLINTON

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