The president's news conference with Prime Minister Obuchi

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, May 10, 1999

May 3, 1999

President Clinton, Good afternoon. Please be seated. It is a great honor to welcome my friend and a friend of the American people, Prime Minister Obuchi, to Washington. I want to say a few words about our meeting today, but first let me say how very pleased I am that our three servicemen are coming home from Serbia, and to express my thanks to Reverend Jackson and his entire delegation for their hard work in securing their freedom.

While we are very thankful for their release, let me be clear why the military operations must continue. Three Americans are home. Their families, their friends, and the American people whom they have served faithfully must be grateful. But nearly 1 1/2 million Kosovars are not home. In fact, 2 days ago, as our prayers for our soldiers were being answered, Serbian soldiers were entering the Kosovar town of Prizren, going door to door, ordering everyone to leave or be killed. In a few hours, all 10,000 who lived there were forced to flee. When will these people see their homes again, with the safety and rights Mr. Milosevic has often pledged, but never delivered?

Remember, what is going on in Kosovo is part of a decade-long policy of ethnic and religious subjugation and cleansing, involving expulsion, destruction of records and symbols of history and culture, and, ultimately, rape and murder.

Our conditions for ending the bombing are not complicated. The Kosovars must be able to go home with security and self-government. Serbian security forces must leave Kosovo. An international security force must deploy with the power not just to monitor but to protect all the people of Kosovo - Albanians and Serbs, alike. Our air campaign cannot stop until Mr. Milosevic shows he is ready to end the nightmare for the people of Kosovo.

I want to thank Prime Minister Obuchi for Japan's strong support of our efforts in Kosovo and for its contribution of $200 million to aid the Kosovar refugees and to help them rebuild. All freedom-loving people are grateful to Japan for this generosity.

Underlying this act and, indeed, all the policies we discussed today, are two basic facts: First, the United States and Japan have common ideals, common interests, a common purpose in the world. Second, as the world's two largest industrial democracies, with less than 10 percent of the world's people, we produce about 40 percent of the world's wealth. We have unique responsibilities. We discussed them today, beginning with our security alliance.

We in America are gratified that the lower house of Japan's Diet now has approved a new set of U.S.-Japan defense guidelines to allow us to respond with flexibility and speed to any regional crisis in Asia.

We spoke about North Korea and the concerns we share about its missile and nuclear programs. We're grateful for Japan's continued support for the Korean Energy Development Organization, which is critical to Our effort to diminish the threat of proliferation on the Korean Peninsula.

We spoke about the difficult but profoundly important transition to democracy in Indonesia. Our countries have pledged around $30 million each to support elections there in June. We applaud President Habibie's commitment to give the people of East Timor a free choice in determining their future. We should support a meaningful U.N. presence in East Timor so its people can make their choice in safety and peace.

Finally, we had a good discussion about Japan's economic situation and its strong efforts to build a stable, growing economy for the next century. I want to to commend the Prime Minister for taking a number of very strong steps to restructure Japan's banking system and stimulate its economy.

No one should underestimate the challenges the Prime Minister is facing. The Japanese people are going through a period of wrenching change. This dislocation, however, is not the result of reform; it is the reason reform is necessary. All of us have to change. And we also respect the deep desire of the leaders and the people of Japan to go through this change in a way that leaves no one behind and brings their people closer together.

Until lasting recovery is at hand, we hope Japan will use all available tools to restore solid growth. I'm very pleased that we have reached agreement under which Japan will take steps to deregulate and to open its medical device, pharmaceutical, telecommunications, housing, and energy sectors, as well as agreements to enhance antitrust cooperation between our countries, and make it easier for foreign companies to invest in Japan. We agreed today to work toward a third deregulation report by the end of March next year.

We must also fully implement our trade agreements, including critical sectors such as insurance, flat glass, government procurement, autos, and auto parts.

On the profoundly important issue of steel, we have made progress. But I reiterated that we will take action if steel imports do not return to their precrisis levels on a consistent basis. Playing by the rules of trade is the best way to sustain a consensus for open trade. I have fought for both objectives. It will help Japan adapt to the challenges of the new global economy.