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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release March 7, 1997

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

McLarty Trip to Guatemala

Thomas F. 'Mack' McLarty, Counselor to the President and Special Envoy for the Americas, will visit Guatemala March 12-13 as the U.S. representative to the Central American-United States Trade and Investment Forum. Mr. McLarty will also visit a guerrilla demobilization camp during his trip.

In Guatemala, Mr. McLarty will deliver the keynote address at the Trade and Investment Forum, which will be attended by all Central American Commerce and Economy Ministers and a delegation of U.S. business leaders. He also will meet privately with Guatemalan President Arzu and other Guatemalan leaders to discuss the implementation of the peace accords and President Clinton's May trip to Central America as part of a week long visit to Latin America and the Caribbean.

The guerrilla demobilization camp Mr. McLarty will visit is one of eight UN-monitored camps established to implement the demobilization provisions of the Guatemala peace accords.

On December 29, 1996, Guatemala's 36-year civil war officially ended with the signing of the comprehensive peace accords. Mr. McLarty led the United States delegation to Guatemala to witness the signing of the historic accords.

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