THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                           (Cologne, Germany)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                      June 19, 1999

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

President Clinton's Visit to Macedonia and Aviano, Italy

The White House is pleased to announce that President and Mrs. Clinton will visit Macedonia on June 22 and then proceed to Aviano, Italy. The President will meet with the political leaders of Macedonia and Albania, visit a refugee camp and speak to U.S. military personnel supporting the peacekeeping effort in Kosovo. Albania and Macedonia were the front-line states most affected by the conflict in Kosovo. The President would like to express his gratitude for the sacrifices and steadfast support of these two countries throughout the Kosovo crisis and to reassure the refugees that they will soon be able to return home. He will also meet with a number of organizations that continue to provide relief to Kosovars.

At Aviano Air Base, the President will have the opportunity to thank the men and women in uniform who performed admirably during NATO's air campaign.

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