Bill Clinton: “Good morning. I have just finished my first personal meeting with Prime Minister Ciampi, and I enjoyed it immensely. The…”

“Good morning. I have just finished my first personal meeting with Prime Minister Ciampi, and I enjoyed it immensely. The close ties between the United States and Italy will stand us in good stead as we try to meet the common challenges that we face. I told the Prime Minister that I admire very much the economic reforms and the political reforms that he and his government are undertaking and the impressive results they are producing. I also mentioned that in appointing one of the United States finest professional diplomats, Mr. Reg Bartholomew, Ambassador of Italy, I have tried to send a signal of the enormous importance of that bilateral relationship to the United States. The fact that Mr. Bartholomew grew up in the United States speaking Italian at home reinforces that tie. In addition, I invited the Prime Minister to come to the United States some time in the next couple of months for a personal visit at the White House so that we might discuss the issues of common concern further. We talked a good deal today about economic issues and the importance of the G-7 reaffirming our support for a conclusion of the Uruguay round this year. This has gone on entirely too long. With recession in Europe, slow growth in Japan and the United States, it is imperative that we send a signal of economic expansion and hope. And both of us, I think it's fair to say, support that approach. We also discussed the foreign affairs issues which concern us both, including Somalia and Bosnia, and I was very impressed with the comments and the points that the Prime Minister made. I want to close by thanking Italy for its renewed effort in global problem-solving; the humanitarian and peacekeeping assistance in Bosnia, Albania, Somalia, Mozambique; its mediation efforts in the Nagorno- Karabakh. The United States highly values this as well as the critical partnership we have enjoyed with Italy in NATO, and we look forward to the NATO summit coming up in the next few months to reaffirm that partnership. Again, let me say, I thank the Prime Minister for his time today. It was very enlightening for me. I learned a good deal, and I look forward to a continued warm and constructive relationship between the United States and Italy. Mr. Prime Minister. Prime Minister Ciampi. First of all, I would like to thank the President for having invited me to visit Washington. This invitation I accept with great pleasure. I would also like to add that our talks today were very cordial and positive. And despite our age differences, the spirit was the same. I tried to illustrate to the President the great changes that are underway in Italy right now. But I also made it a point to emphasize that, despite these changes, one thing will not change, and that is our foreign policy. Italy will continue, as Italy has continued to do, to give its full consent to future problems, the most important problems which affect the world scene. It is important that this summit concludes by giving clear signals to the operators in the world. This clear-sent message would be to enhance a recovery of--to enhance the Uruguay round negotiations which have dragged on for too long. This would help to contribute our energies to over- come the recession that we are going through now and to develop the economy in the world and to create new jobs. We also discussed the issues which directly affect the U.S. and Europe and the U.S. and Italy. We have also exchanged our opinions on the two most crucial issues of the day, which are Bosnia and Somalia. As far as Somalia is concerned, the most important thing is that we cannot forget what our priority goal is. And the goal is to normalize the political and social situation in the country, which has undergone domestic strife and which has prevented the distribution of food to the starving population. And in undertaking our military action, we must never forget the political action which, of course, must be supported by the military action. And I have found a full understanding on the President's part as far as Italy's request to have a greater presence of the Italians in Somalia. And in conclusion, I must again thank the President of the United States, Bill Clinton. This is our first meeting, although we have spoken on the phone before in a very cordial and practical conversation. The fact that we have finally met personally reinforces in me the sensation that the President is a very agreeable person and that we can work out our problems together. Political Reform”