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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release July 24, 1997

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

The President's Meeting with German President Roman Herzog

President Clinton received German President Roman Herzog at the White House today. The two held a meeting in the Oval Office, followed by a working luncheon in the Old Family Dining Room.

The two Presidents agreed on the fundamental importance of the partnership between the United States and Germany. The Presidents reaffirmed their common commitment to the achievement of democracy and freedom throughout all of Europe, both through the enlargement of NATO and the European Union to the new democracies of Central and Eastern Europe and through support for democracy in Russia. They also noted the importance of supporting economic reform in Ukraine and strengthening the NATO-Ukraine relationship. The Presidents agreed on the need to accelerate implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement in Bosnia, with particular focus on the return of refugees. They also compared efforts in Germany and the United States to enhance opportunities for minorities and to promote ethnic tolerance.

Noting the presence of several distinguished private individuals within the German delegation, the two Presidents also underscored the value of individual contacts, exchange programs and parliamentary visits in strengthening the close ties of friendship between the United States and Germany.

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