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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release April 6, 1998

           STATEMENT BY VICE PRESIDENT GORE ON SECRETARY PENA?S
                     PLANS TO LEAVE THE ADMINISTRATION

I am saddened to hear that Secretary Pena will be leaving our Administration.

I have personally witnessed Secretary Pena's strong leadership skills during our bilateral meetings with senior Russian officials. The Secretary's work in promoting energy investment in Russia and his accomplishments in securing nuclear materials at sites throughout the former Soviet Union have made invaluable contributions to our relationship with Russia, and to building a peaceful future.

I also want to single out Secretary Pena's commitment to the environment, which has been hailed throughout the Administration. During his tenure as Energy Secretary, he has spearheaded the Department's efforts to address the challenge of global change both through his support of research and development into energy efficient technologies, and through his negotiations with Energy Ministers throughout the developing world. In addition, he has moved aggressively on the Department's environmental remediation mission to clean up waste at our nation's former nuclear weapon's sites.

I thank Secretary Pena for his dedicated service to our nation and wish him all the best in future endeavors.