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<DOC>
[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents]
 [frwais.access.gpo.gov]


[Page i-ii]
 
Monday, May 5, 1997
 
Volume 33--Number 18
Pages 587-636
 
Contents

[[Page i]]

Weekly Compilation of

Presidential

Documents



[[Page ii]]


Addresses and Remarks

    See also Meetings With Foreign Leaders
    Democratic National Committee gala--626
    Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial--631, 632
    Library of Congress, 100th anniversary of the Thomas Jefferson 
        Building--618
    Pennsylvania, Presidents' Summit for America's Future in 
        Philadelphia
            Kickoff--604
            Luncheon--610
            Opening ceremony--607
            President's Service Awards presentation--605
            Students, teachers, parents, and AmeriCorps volunteers--612
    Radio address--599
    Saxophone Club--629
    White House Correspondents' Association dinner--601

Bill Signings

    Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act of 1997, statement--617

Communications to Congress

    Cyprus, letter transmitting report--613

Communications to Federal Agencies

    Excused absence for employees affected by the flooding of the Red 
        River and its aftermath, memorandum--618
    Use of funds for the U.S. contribution to the Korean Peninsula 
        Energy Development Organization, memorandum--599

Interviews With the News Media

    Exchanges with reporters
        Oval Office--615

Interviews With the News Media--Continued

    Interview with Jacobo Goldstein of CNN Radio Noticias--621
    News conference with Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto of Japan, 
        April 25 (No. 142)--587

Meetings With Foreign Leaders

    Japan, Prime Minister Hashimoto--587
    Spain, President Aznar--615

Proclamations

    Loyalty Day--625
    Older Americans Month--625

Statements by the President

    See also Bill Signings
    ``Adoption Promotion Act of 1997,'' House action--617
    Economic expansion and job creation--616
    Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses, 
        interim report--624
    Sentencing Commission action on penalties for drug offenses--614
    Senate confirmation of Alexis Herman as Secretary of Labor--617
    Senate resolution establishing a national day to erase the hate and 
        eliminate racism--617

Supplementary Materials

    Acts approved by the President--636
    Checklist of White House press releases--635
    Digest of other White House announcements--634
    Nominations submitted to the Senate--635


              WEEKLY COMPILATION OF
          ------------------------------
              PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS

Published every Monday by the Office of the Federal Register, National
Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC 20408, the Weekly
Compilation of Presidential Documents contains statements, messages, and
other Presidential materials released by the White House during the
preceding week.

The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents is published pursuant to
the authority contained in the Federal Register Act (49 Stat. 500, as
amended; 44 U.S.C. Ch. 15), under regulations prescribed by the
Administrative Committee of the Federal Register, approved by the
President (37 FR 23607; 1 CFR Part 10).

Distribution is made only by the Superintendent of Documents, Government
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for a single copy is $3.00 ($3.75 for foreign mailing).

There are no restrictions on the republication of material appearing in
the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents.


[[Page 587]]




<DOC>
[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents]
 [frwais.access.gpo.gov]


[Page 587-599]
 
Monday, May 5, 1997
 
Volume 33--Number 18
Pages 587-636
 
Week Ending Friday, May 2, 1997
 
The President's News Conference With Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto of 
Japan


April 25, 1997

    President Clinton. Good afternoon. Before we begin the discussion of 
my meetings with the Prime Minister, let me say that I have just come 
from signing the instrument of ratification to the Chemical Weapons 
Convention, along with the Vice President and the Secretary of State and 
others who worked very hard for it.
    Last night's strong bipartisan vote in the Senate will keep our 
soldiers and our citizens safer, and it will send a clear signal that 
Americans of both parties are united in their resolve to maintain the 
leadership of our Nation into the next century.
    It is very appropriate that the vote took place last night when I 
was visiting with the Prime Minister and that the signing took place a 
moment ago while Prime Minister Hashimoto was here, because Japan set a 
very strong example for the world by ratifying this treaty more than a 
year ago.
    I am particularly pleased on this historic day to welcome the Prime 
Minister to Washington. Over the last 2 years, Ryu and I have met many 
times. We've built a good friendship that reflects the shared values and 
interests of the world's two strongest democracies and leading 
economies. Today's discussions were no exception. The Prime Minister and 
I continued our work to make sure that our partnership meets the 
challenges of the new century.
    Our security alliance remains the cornerstone of peace and stability 
in the Asia-Pacific region. Building on the joint declaration we signed 
in Japan last April, we are strengthening our cooperation while reducing 
the burden of our bases on the Japanese people. Today we reviewed recent 
progress in consolidating some of our bases in Okinawa in ways that 
reflect our continuing sensitivity to their effect on the lives of the 
Okinawan people. I particularly appreciate the strong leadership and 
support for our alliance the Prime Minister showed in passing 
legislation to enable our forces to continue using these important 
facilities.
    We also discussed regional security, including our joint interest in 
promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. The United States 
and Japan are united in urging North Korea to accept the standing offer 
for four-party peace talks. I want to thank the Prime Minister for 
Japan's role in the Korean Energy Development Organization that has 
helped to keep North Korea's dangerous nuclear program frozen.
    The Prime Minister and I agreed on the critical importance of 
cooperative relations with China. We also agreed on the need for the 
international community to stand firmly behind the progress of democracy 
in Cambodia. We both recognize the importance of keeping our economic 
relationship moving in the right direction. Over the last 4 years we've 
worked hard to open markets and achieve a better balance in our trade 
and investment ties.
    I told Prime Minister Hashimoto we need to build on this success to 
create new opportunities in key sectors for both the workers of our 
country and broad benefits for the consumers of Japan. We both want to 
promote strong domestic demand-led growth in Japan and to avoid a 
significant increase in Japan's external surplus. These are essential to 
sustaining the progress that has been made.
    I welcome the Prime Minister's commitment to restructuring Japan's 
economy, including his support of far-reaching deregulation. An 
ambitious reform program should bring economic benefits to Japan and 
improve market access for American and other foreign firms. To this end, 
we have agreed to intensify talks on deregulation under our framework 
agreement.

[[Page 588]]

    Among the global issues we discussed were preparations for this 
June's Summit of the Eight in Denver and how we can work together to 
strengthen reform in the United Nations. Tomorrow, the Vice President 
and the Prime Minister will discuss our common agenda to fight disease, 
protect the environment, and meet other important common challenges.
    Finally, let me say I had the opportunity to thank the Prime 
Minister for Japan's efforts to bring our young people closer together. 
The new Fulbright Memorial Fund will send 5,000 American high school 
teachers and administrators to Japan over the next 5 years. We welcome 
the Prime Minister's initiatives to send high school students from 
Okinawa to study in the United States and will increase our funding for 
American students to do the same there. These ties of friendship reflect 
the shared values that underpin our vital alliance.
    If you will permit me to quote a Haiku poem, ``Old friends standing 
tall, spring sunlight on their shoulders, makes them move as one.'' 
Moving as one in this time of challenge and change, that's what Prime 
Minister Hashimoto and I are committed to see the United States and 
Japan do.
    Mr. Prime Minister, welcome.
    Prime Minister Hashimoto. Well, I am pleased to be able to make this 
official visit to Washington, DC, and to have had a thorough exchange of 
views with President Clinton.
    Last night, the President invited me for drinks, and we had an 
enjoyable evening at the White House. There I conveyed to him my 
sympathies for the damage caused by the flood in the Midwest. I also was 
able to express joint pleasure at the approval of the Chemical Weapons 
Convention by the Senate.
    I had 3 hours of frank discussion with Bill as friends and as 
leaders of the two countries. I believe we have the following four 
points as the main themes.
    The first theme is the security relationship, which is the 
foundation of a Japan-U.S. friendship and alliance. We fully agreed that 
we must further enhance the security relationship and based on the 
Japan-U.S. Joint Declaration on Security issued last April. I explained 
to President Clinton the efforts my administration has been making on 
issues concerning Okinawa and its top priority task to secure a solid 
basis for the stable security relationship. President Clinton made it 
clear that he will continue to be sensitive to, and cooperative on, 
issues concerning Okinawa, including the steady implementation of the 
SACO final report.
    With regard to the review of the guidelines for Japan-U.S. defense 
cooperation, we'll intensify this joint task as we head towards this 
fall. I'd also like to ensure full transparency both at home and abroad 
of the review process. We also reaffirmed our commitment in the joint 
declaration that in response to changes which may arise on the 
international security environment, we'll continue to consult closely on 
defense policies and military postures, including the U.S. force 
structure in Japan which will best meet the requirements of the two 
Governments.
    The second theme is the economic relationship. I gave to the 
President updates on the reforms now being undertaken in Japan by the 
Government and political parties in unison, especially on structural 
reforms, including the fiscal reform and consolidation, deregulation, 
and financial system reform.
    I must say that these reforms do have great relevance to maintaining 
and enhancing the good bilateral economic relationship we enjoy today. 
The President welcomed my commitment to restructuring Japan's economy, 
including far-reaching deregulation. We both support the common 
objective of avoiding a significant increase in Japan's external surplus 
by promoting strong domestic demand-led growth in Japan. Furthermore, we 
have decided to have the officials of the two Governments start 
discussions on how we could enhance the Japan-U.S. dialog on 
deregulation under our framework.
    The third theme is furtherance of peace and prosperity in the Asia-
Pacific region under Japan-U.S. cooperation and joint leadership. In 
this context, the President and I agreed on the special significance of 
establishing constructive, cooperative relations with China. We 
reaffirmed that Japan, the United States, and the Republic of Korea will 
continue to deal with issues concerning the Korean Peninsula, including 
early realization

[[Page 589]]

of the four-party talks and promotion of the activities by the Korean 
Peninsula Energy Development Organization, or KEDO, under tripartite 
coordination.
    On Cambodia, there was concurrence of views that the international 
community needs to send out a political message for the stability of 
Cambodia under consolidation of democracy. I have dispatched Mr. Komura, 
the State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, to Cambodia, to fulfill this 
task.
    The last, and the fourth theme, is Japan-U.S. cooperation on global 
issues. It was reconfirmed in our meeting that we will further 
coordinate our policies on such wide-ranging issues as the Denver 
summit, antiterrorism and anticrime measures, United Nations reforms, 
cooperation with Russia, and the Middle East peace process.
    I'd like to note here that the seizure of the Japanese Ambassador's 

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