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THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                        (Little Rock, Arkansas)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                     August 6, 1999

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

                 President Clinton Travels to New Zealand
                 for APEC Leaders Meeting and State Visit

President Clinton will attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Meeting September 12-13 in Auckland, New Zealand. The annual meeting, hosted this year by Prime Minister Jennifer Shipley, will bring together the leaders of the 21 economies that comprise the APEC organization. Prior to the Leaders Meeting, the President will deliver the keynote address at the Chief Executive Officers (CEO) Summit Breakfast. The APEC CEO Summit is a meeting of international business leaders who interact with regional leaders and focus on the challenges facing the Asia Pacific region in the next century.

The APEC Leaders meeting provides an important forum for President Clinton to discuss trade and financial issues with leaders from economies that collectively account for nearly two-thirds of U.S. trade with the world. During the APEC gathering, President Clinton will also meet bilaterally with several leaders to discuss issues of mutual concern.

Following the APEC meeting, the President will remain in New Zealand for a State Visit, travelling to Queenstown and Christchurch.

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