Bill Clinton: “Not very long ago, perhaps about, oh, an hour ago now, I had a conversation with President Yeltsin. I called to…”

“Not very long ago, perhaps about, oh, an hour ago now, I had a conversation with President Yeltsin. I called to congratulate him on his outstanding victory in the election and to reassure him that the United States continues to support him as the elected leader of Russia and continues to look forward to our partnership in working to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons, to increase trade and commerce, and to promote democracy. This is a very, very good day, not only for the people of Russia but for the people of the United States and all the people of the world. I will say again I know that there have been times in the last 3 months when many Americans, troubled with their own economic difficulties, have asked why their President would be so involved in trying to support the process of democracy in Russia. And I want to say again why that is so. They are a huge country with vast natural resources, with enormous opportunities for Americans to create jobs and to earn income and to reap the benefits of trade. They still have thousands of nuclear weapons which we must proceed to reduce and to dismantle so that the world will be a safer place and so that we will no longer have to spend our investment dollars, that we need so desperately to rebuild our own economy, on maintaining a state of extreme readiness and large numbers of warheads positioned against Russia. And they are a great country that can be a symbol of democracy in a very troubled part of the world if democracy can stay alive there. They can prove that you can make three dramatic changes at once as they try to move from a Communist system to a democracy, from a controlled economy to a market economy, and to a nation state away from being an imperial power with occupying armies. This is a victory that belongs to the Russian people and to the courage of Boris Yeltsin, but I am very glad that the United States supported steadfastly the process of democracy in Russia. I was glad to have a chance to talk to President Yeltsin. Needless to say, he was in a very good humor when I talked to him, and he had a good sense of humor. And he offered the United States a great Russian bear hug for their support for democracy in Russia and, actually, in the other republics of the former Soviet Union as well. So, it was a very good conversation. But I do want to say that this is a good day, not just for the people of Russia but for the people of the United States as well. Russia”