Subject: Press release: W. Cristopher and Z.Zhelev ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is an excerpt from the lates USIA report. *EUR104 02/13/95 CHRISTOPHER WELCOMES BULGARIAN PRESIDENT ZHELEV (Transcript: Christopher, Zhelev remarks) (1020) Washington -- Secretary of State Christopher welcomed Bulgarian President Zhelyu Zhelev to the Department of State, praising Bulgaria for its efforts on sanctions enforcement in connection with the former Yugoslavia. President Zhelev congratulated Christopher on his "enormous and fruitful effort in the Middle East." Following is a transcript of their February 13 remarks at the Department of State: (Begin transcript) SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: Good morning. I'm very pleased to welcome here today President Zhelev of Bulgaria and his delegation. Under the president's leadership, Bulgaria has taken very important strides toward democratic reform and market reform. From our standpoint, it is very important that they continue down that path, and I know that President Zhelev is one of those who is committed to that. Bulgaria has been on the forefront of the sanctions enforcement in connection with former Yugoslavia -- and it's been very costly to Bulgaria. They have performed very reliably as an international citizen in that regard. We have a good deal to talk about. I've known of the president's reputation as a Democrat and a reformer for a long time, so I'm looking forward to having a good conversation with him. Welcome, Mr. President. It is very nice to have you here today. I welcome you to say a few words, Mr. President. PRESIDENT ZHELEV: (Through interpreter) Thank you, Mr. Secretary of State, for the kind words you had for my country and for myself. Bulgaria continues along the path to democracy, despite the obstacles which it runs into, both in the field of economy and in the field of politics. Its transition is made even mare difficult through the sanctions during the Gulf War and now against Serbia and Montenegro. But we do count on the support of the United States, support which they readily give, not just to Bulgaria, but to all post-communist countries. I take this opportunity to congratulate the secretary of state for his enormous and fruitful effort in the Middle East. I would like to express here a hope that once he helps resolve the problems in the Middle East, I would wish him to have enough energy to come over to our region, to the Balkans, and help resolve our problems. I would also invite him for a meeting with his Balkan colleagues in Sofia, our capital. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, Senator McCain and others are very concerned about Russia's contract to sell nuclear technology to Iran. Is there anything more the administration can do to (inaudible)? SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: We are deeply concerned about that, too. As you know, we regard Iran as being the proponent of terrorism; they are seeking to undermine the Middle East Peace Process. We are taking all the action we can -- talking with all of our allies about the importance of not having preferential trade arrangements with Iran and not furnishing to them supplies and materials that could enable them to go forward with the construction of weapons of mass destruction, We certainly don't regard ourselves as having exhausted our energies with respect to Russia. We are going to continue to be making that point with the Russian government because it is so fundamental to our policy, both in the Middle East and in our non-proliferation policy around the world. Andrea, the best I can say to you is, we certainly are not going to stop in our efforts to prevent transactions like that from going forward. QUESTION: Should aid to Russia be cut if they don't desist? SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: On that subject, we have to look at the various items of aid. Each of those items of aid that we are putting forward this year is in our interests; they are not some gratuity or favor that we are conferring on Russia. I think that while we clearly differ with Russia on various matters, the withdrawal of aid is a point that we have not yet reached. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, there seem to be two schools of thought about that nuclear plant being rebuilt with Russian help. One is that it is part of the nuclear weapons program; the other is it's just another country trying to find another form of energy. Has the U.S. reached a conclusion of what is really going on with that plant? SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: I don't want to talk to you about anything with respect to the plant. As you know, I've long declined to talk about intelligence matters. But I would say that our conclusion is that the supplies should not go forward because they enhance Iran's capacity in this regard, and we think it is simply not healthy to be building up Iran's capacity in the nuclear area. QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, what was the progress made yesterday on the peace talks, and where do you go from here? What's the next step? SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER: The next step, of course, is the meeting between Prime Minister Rabin and Chairman Arafat. The fact that yesterday the five ministers came together -- foreign ministers from Israel, Jordan, Egypt, the United States, and the planning minister from the Palestinian Authority -- and issued a joint statement -- and there was a joint statement by the Palestinians and the Israelis -- the texture of those statements, the positive note that they had, 1 think will improve the climate for the discussions between Prime minister Rabin and Chairman Arafat. Each of these steps is not decisive in itself, but one of the things that happened yesterday as a follow-on to Cairo is that we are trying to regain the momentum toward a peace process that will have a favorable outcome. I think you can perhaps judge better by how the next set of meetings go as to whether yesterday's meeting was significant in the long run. My impression is that it was and that the peace process will continue forward because, as I said yesterday, I think there is no turning back, and I t hink the parties understand that. I think we will go in to lunch now. Thank you very much. (End transcript) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *EUR103 02/13/95 U.S. URGES RUSSIA TO STOP PROVIDING NUCLEAR HELP TO IRAN (Christopher, Clinton meet with Bulgarian president) (750) By Russell E. Dybvik and Alexander M. Sullivan USIA Staff Correspondents Washington -- Secretary of State Christopher has appealed to Russia to stop providing nuclear technology to Iran, but he says the United States has not reached the point of cutting off assistance to Russia because of that trade. During a picture-taking session with visiting Bulgarian President Zhelyu Zhelev February 13, Christopher told a questioner the United States is "deeply concerned" about Russia's contract to sell nuclear technology to Iran for refurbishing an Iranian nuclear facility. "We regard Iran as being the proponent of terrorism; they are seeking to undermine the Middle East peace process," the secretary said. "We are taking all the action we can -- talking with all of our allies about the importance of not having preferential trade arrangements with Iran and not furnishing to them supplies and materials that could enable them to go forward with the construction of weapons of mass destruction. "We certainly don't regard ourselves as having exhausted our energies with respect to Russia," he continued. "We are going to continue to be making that point with the Russian government because it is so fundamental to our policy, both in the Middle East and in our non-proliferation policy around the world." "We certainly are not going to stop in our efforts to prevent transactions like that from going forward," Christopher said. At the same time, he pointed out that U.S. assistance to Russia is not a "gratuity or favor" but is in the U.S. national interest. "While we clearly differ with Russia on various matters, the withdrawal of aid is a point that we have not yet reached," the secretary said. Declining to discuss what is actually involved in the rebuilding of the Iranian nuclear facility, Christopher added: "But I would say that our conclusion is that the supplies should not go forward because they enhance Iran's capacity...and we think it is simply not healthy to be building up Iran's capacity in the nuclear area." Asked about next steps in the Middle East peace process, Christopher pointed to the forthcoming meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman Yasser Arafat. Commenting on the February 12 meeting in Washington of the foreign ministers of Israel, Jordan and Egypt and the planning minister of the Palestinian Authority, Christopher said it "will improve the climate for the discussions between Prime Minister Rabin and Chairman Arafat." The meeting was designed to "regain the momentum" in the peace process, he said. "As I said yesterday, I think there is no turning back, and I think the parties understand that." Bulgarian President Zhelev praised Christopher's efforts to promote Middle East peace and invited him to visit Sofia to pursue a similar effort in resolving the problems facing the Balkans. Welcoming the Bulgarian leader to the State Department in advance of a working luncheon, Christopher hailed Zhelev's leadership in promoting democratic and market reform in Bulgaria. He also noted that Bulgaria has been in the forefront of the effort to enforce United Nations sanctions against the former Yugoslavia, at very great cost to Bulgaria. Zhelev acknowledged that his country's transition to democracy has faced both economic and political obstacles and has been further complicated by the cost of sanctions, first during the Persian Gulf War and then against Serbia and Montenegro. "But we do count on the support of the United States," he said, adding that support has been readily given "not just to Bulgaria, but to all post-communist countries." Later in the day, President Clinton also had praise for Zhelev. During a photo session in his White House Oval Office, Clinton told his guest the United States is gratified by the "democratic and economic transformation" of Bulgaria. Clinton said he had looked forward to the visit and to signing a declaration of principles to govern relations between Washington and Sofia. He said he expected agreement on a "common agenda. I look forward to working together." Asked what the declaration would encompass, the president said it details "the basic principles that will govern our relationship and also sets forward an agenda for how we can work together so that we can support their successes, which is something we want to do." Clinton told a questioner he expected the situation in Bosnia and proposals to lift the United Nations embargo would be discussed, together with "a number of other things."