pd18jn01 Exchange With Reporters Prior to the Plenary Session of the United...

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committed to NATO. Our troop presence in NATO are making sure NATO is 
not weakened in any way. And the process will work, Judy [Judy Keen, USA 
Today]. The process will evolve. And when we meet a year from this fall, 
it will be clear who should be in and who should not be in.
    President Aznar. We basically agree with that. I want to recall that 
in Madrid in 1997 at the NATO Summit was, in fact, when the enlargement 
spread to the Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary. We've also discussed 
this issue, and we fully share the opinion that NATO can be enlarged. 
And Spain will also work to forge appropriate consensus for NATO 
enlargement with common agreement among the Allies.

[[Page 888]]

Spain-U.S. Defense Agreement

    Q. My question is for the President of the United States. Spain 
would like to renew the agreement on defense cooperation before the end 
of the year. Do you think this is possible? And is the subject to a 
greater presence of U.S. military in the basis of----
    President Bush. Es posible; es importante. And I believe that we can 
finish the discussions by the end of the year, as to the U.S. presence 
in military bases here in Spain. And I am--we've had a very long 
discussion about this. There are going to be discussions this summer on 
the subject, and we will push hard to make sure we complete our 
agreement. It's an important agreement for the United States.
    And I appreciate so very much our close cooperation and security 
arrangements with Spain. Spain is a loyal friend and a strong ally. And 
I'm so appreciative that the President has been straightforward and 
frank on a number of subjects. Our lunch today was one of the most 
beneficial lunches I've had since I've been the President of the United 
States, Mr. President. Part of the discussions were about our military 
agreements. Part of it was on issues that we don't agree on. Most of it 
is on issues where we do agree. And I leave Spain fully confident that 
our relationship will be very strong and our personal relationship will 
be very beneficial to the United States and, hopefully, to Spain, as 
well.
    President Aznar. I'd like to confirm that it is my hope that the 
agreement will be ready by the end of the year. There are no things such 
as you mention, just a few things that need to be looked at.
    I want to reiterate my thanks to President Bush for his visit to 
Spain and assure all of you that we have enjoyed extremely fruitful 
talks from the bilateral and general perspectives--EU, defense, and our 
cooperation in various areas around the world. I particularly expressed 
my thanks to the President for his time and for being here.
    Thank you very much. Good afternoon.

Note: The President's seventh news conference began at 5:50 p.m. at the 
Moncloa Palace. In his remarks, President Bush referred to President 
Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Fidel Castro of Cuba. A reporter 
referred to Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida. President Aznar spoke in Spanish, 
and his remarks were translated by an interpreter. A portion of this 
news conference could not be verified because the tape was incomplete.


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

[Page 888-889]
 
Monday, June 18, 2001
 
Volume 37--Number 24
Pages 875-924
 
Week Ending Friday, June 15, 2001
 
Joint Statement by President George W. Bush and President Jose Maria 
Aznar

June 12, 2001

    President Bush and President Aznar reaffirm the close friendship 
between the United States and Spain, rooted in common history, common 
values and common interests in Europe, the Mediterranean, Latin America, 
and beyond. Building upon our Joint Declaration of January 11, 2001, we 
commit ourselves to the shared goals of enhanced bilateral relations, a 
stronger Transatlantic alliance, and a Europe whole, free and at peace.
    We commit to work together and with other European states to deepen 
Transatlantic economic relations and to seek out solutions when we 
disagree. We reaffirm our commitment to the multilateral trading system 
and strongly support the launch of a new round of global trade 
negotiations this year. It is our goal to open markets, both regionally 
and globally. We agree to intensify our efforts to liberalize fully our 
bilateral civil aviation relationship. We support the integration and 
ongoing transformation of Europe's new democracies and support their 
aspirations to join Europe's major institutions.
    We affirm that NATO will remain the essential foundation of 
Transatlantic security. We are resolved to further develop our 
cooperation bilaterally and within the Atlantic Alliance and continue to 
make essential contributions to the Alliance. NATO will continue to 
adapt itself to meet new missions and challenges by strengthening its 
capabilities; seeking to reinforce cooperation with Russia, Ukraine and 
other members of the Partnership for Peace; and continuing to admit to 
its ranks European democracies prepared to assume the responsibilities 
of membership. Just as Spain's entry into NATO in 1982 marked a 
milestone in its return to the Transatlantic community, so NATO's 
continuing enlargement will allow

[[Page 889]]

new Allies to join with and make contributions to an undivided Europe 
and Euro-Atlantic area. We will work together to advance NATO's 
enlargement at NATO's Prague Summit in November, 2002.
    We support efforts of NATO's European Members and other European 
nations to assume greater responsibility for crisis management in Europe 
by committing new resources to strengthen their and NATO's capabilities 
and developing the ability to manage efforts where NATO as a whole 
chooses not to engage. The United States welcomes the European Union's 
European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP), intended to make Europe a 
stronger, more capable partner in deterring and managing crises 
affecting the security of the Transatlantic community. We believe it is 
essential that the EU develop capabilities that enable it to act when 
NATO as a whole is not engaged, in a manner that is fully coordinated, 
compatible and transparent with NATO, and to provide for the fullest 
possible participation of non-EU European Allies. We also agree that the 
Alliance will be able to meet the 21st century's new challenges most 
effectively by strengthening cooperation in Transatlantic defense trade 
and the removal of unnecessary governmental barriers and impediments to 
such trade.
    We reaffirm our commitment to work with European Union and other 
partners to consolidate the peace and build lasting stability in 
Southeast Europe based on democratic governance, the rule of law, and 
increasing integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions. We condemn 
extremists, such as those in Macedonia, who subvert the democratic 
process through the use of violence. Our two countries are committed to 
NATO-led operations in Bosnia and Kosovo, and will work with our allies 
to transfer responsibilities for public security from combat forces to 
specialized units and international police, and ultimately to local 
authorities.
    We face a growing threat from the proliferation of weapons of mass 
destruction (WMD) and missiles for their delivery. We are engaged in a 
consultation process with all interested parties about this new threat. 
We agree on the need for a comprehensive security strategy that 
encompasses both offensive and defensive deterrent systems, continues 
nuclear arms reductions, and strengthens WMD and missile proliferation 
controls and counter-proliferation measures.
    We renew our Joint Declaration commitment to combat terrorism 
wherever it is encountered; to cooperate closely in regions of the world 
where Spain and the United States share strong common interests, 
notably, to promote democracy and human rights in Latin America. We will 
continue our efforts in support of the peace process in Colombia. In 
this context, the July 2000 Madrid Conference on Colombia is an example 
of transatlantic cooperation that we seek to foster in the region. We 
will also cooperate to bring an end to the violence and find a lasting 
solution to the conflict in the Middle East.
    We will help the poorest countries benefit from the international 
trading system and technological development, to support access to 
information, develop economic opportunities, and foster democratic 
societies across the globe. Technological development will also help 
overcome hunger, poverty, and disease in the developing world. With our 
African partners, we will jointly commit to addressing conflict and 
infectious disease--especially HIV/AIDS--and to promoting economic 
growth and good governance. It is in all of our interests to create a 
more stable and peaceful world and to make available the benefits of 
globalization to all peoples.
    In order to pursue our consultations, we look forward to meeting in 
the United States before the end of the year, in advance of Spain's 
assuming the Presidency of the European Union in the first semester of 
2002.

Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this joint statement.


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

[Page 889-890]
 
Monday, June 18, 2001
 
Volume 37--Number 24
Pages 875-924
 
Week Ending Friday, June 15, 2001
 
Notice--Continuation of Emergency With Respect to Property of the 
Russian Federation Relating to the Disposition of Highly Enriched 
Uranium Extracted From Nuclear Weapons

June 11, 2001

    On June 21, 2000, President Clinton issued Executive Order 13159 
(the ``Order'')

[[Page 890]]

blocking property and interests in property of the Government of the 
Russian Federation that are in the United States, that hereafter come 
within the United States, or that are or hereinafter come within the 
possession or control of U.S. persons that are directly related to the 
implementation of the Agreement Between the Government of the United 
States of America and the Government of the Russian Federation 
concerning the disposition of highly enriched uranium extracted from 
nuclear weapons, dated February 18, 1993, and related contracts and 
agreements (collectively, the ``HEU Agreements''). The HEU Agreements 
allow for the downblending of highly enriched uranium derived from 
nuclear weapons to low enriched uranium for peaceful commercial 
purposes. The Order invoked the authority, inter alia, of the 
International Emergency Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq., and 
declared a national emergency to deal with the threat to the national 
security and foreign policy of the United States posed by the risk of 
nuclear proliferation created by the accumulation of a large volume of 
weapons-usable fissile material in the territory of the Russian 
Federation.
    A major national security goal of the United States is to ensure 
that fissile material removed from Russian nuclear weapons pursuant to 
various arms control and disarmament agreements is downblended to low 
enriched uranium for peaceful commercial uses, subject to transparency 
measures, and protected from diversion to activities of proliferation 
concern.
    Pursuant to the HEU Agreements, weapons-grade uranium extracted from 
Russian nuclear weapons is converted to low enriched uranium for use as 
fuel in commercial nuclear reactors. The Order blocks and protects from 
attachment, judgment, decree, lien, execution, garnishment, or other 
judicial process the property and interests in property of the 
Government of the Russian Federation that are directly related to the 
implementation of the HEU Agreements and that are in the United States, 
that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter 
come within the possession or control of United States persons.
    The national emergency declared on June 21, 2000, must continue 
beyond June 21, 2001, to provide continued protection from attachment, 
judgment, decree, lien, execution, garnishment, or other judicial 
process the property and interests in property of the Government of the 
Russian Federation that are directly related to the implementation of 
the HEU Agreements and subject to U.S. jurisdiction. Therefore, in 
accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 
U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing the national emergency with respect to 
weapons-usable fissile material in the territory of the Russian 
Federation. This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and 
transmitted to the Congress.
                                                George W. Bush
 The White House,
 June 11, 2001.

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., June 13, 
2001]

Note: This notice was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
June 13, and it was published in the Federal Register on June 14.


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

[Page 890]
 
Monday, June 18, 2001
 
Volume 37--Number 24
Pages 875-924
 
Week Ending Friday, June 15, 2001
 
Message to the Congress Transmitting a Report on the National Emergency 
With Respect to Russia

June 11, 2001

To the Congress of the United States:

    As required by section 401(c) of the National Emergencies Act, 50 
U.S.C. 1641(c), and section 204(c) of the International Emergency 
Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1703(c), I transmit herewith a 6-month 
periodic report on the national emergency with respect to the risk of 
nuclear proliferation created by the accumulation of weapons-usable 
fissile material in the territory of the Russian Federation that was 
declared in Executive Order 13159 of June 21, 2000.
                                                George W. Bush
 The White House,
 June 11, 2001,

Note: This message was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
June 13.

[[Page 891]]


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

[Page 891]
 
Monday, June 18, 2001
 
Volume 37--Number 24
Pages 875-924
 
Week Ending Friday, June 15, 2001
 
Message to the Congress Transmitting a Report of the National Endowment 
for Democracy

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