THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release July 19, 1996

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

July 19, 1996

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

In accordance with Public Law 95-384 (22 U.S.C. 2373(c)), I submit to you this report on progress toward a negotiated settlement of the Cyprus question. The previous submission covered progress through March 31, 1996. The current submission covers the period April 1, 1996, through May 31, 1996.

As noted in my last submission, I have been engaged in a series of meetings with leaders from the region to underscore my interest in advancing a Cyprus solution. On April 9, I informed Greek Prime Minister Simitis that Acting Assistant Secretary Kornblum would be coming to the region in late April, in part to examine possibilities for progress on Cyprus. Mr. Kornblum's message would be that the United States could help to facilitate a solution only if all the parties were sincerely interested in taking the pragmatic steps necessary for an intercommunal agreement. I am encouraged that Mr. Kornblum found broad appreciation of the need to move ahead on Cyprus. We continue to urge all the parties to seize the unique opportunity that currently exists to make the long-elusive Cyprus solution a reality.

Sincerely,

WILLIAM J. CLINTON

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