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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release August 5, 1998

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

                     President Clinton's Meeting 
          with South African Deputy President Thabo Mbeki

President Clinton met today in the Oval Office with South Africa's Deputy President, Thabo Mbeki, for 30 minutes. They discussed a broad range of international, regional and bilateral issues.

The President explored with Deputy President Mbeki and his delegation ways to improve and expand our partnerships with South Africa and the continent, including tackling regional conflicts, increasing stability and democracy, and expanding trade and economic opportunities for Africans and Americans.

The two also discussed the current crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and our shared concerns about the fragile situation in Angola.

They touched briefly on the outlook for South Africa's 1999 Presidential elections.

The Deputy President will co-chair, along with Vice President Gore, an executive session of the U.S-South Africa Binational Commission on Thursday, August 6.

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