ACCESSION NUMBER:00000
FILE ID:96121105.txt
DATE:12/11/96
TITLE:11-12-96  TEXT: CLINTON ON NATO AGREEMENT TO HOLD SUMMIT IN JULY 1997

TEXT:
(Says the West must continue to reach out to Russia)  (450)

Washington --President Clinton says the Atlantic alliance should
exclude no European nation willing to embrace democracy and free
markets.

Commenting on the decision to hold a July summit to begin the process
of enlarging NATO, the President said the West must "continue to reach
out to Russia" and to include Moscow "in the fabric of Europe's
emerging community of democracies. We must open the doors of Europe's
institutions ... excluding no nation that shares our values and is
willing and able to shoulder our common responsibilities."

Following is the White House text:

(begin text)

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press secretary

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

NATO Agrees to Hold Summit

Today, America and its NATO Allies agreed to hold a NATO Summit on
July 8-9, 1997 in Madrid to take the crucial next steps on the
enlargement and adaptation of the North Atlantic Alliance for the 21st
century. This marks an important milestone on the road to an
integrated, democratic and secure Europe.

The summit will seek to advance a strong and enduring NATO-Russia
partnership; to strengthen partnership with all of Europe's new
democracies; to approve adaptations within NATO to prepare the
Alliance to meet the challenges of the coming century; and to invite
the first aspiring NATO members to begin accession talks to join the
Alliance. My goal is to see NATO take in its first new members by
1999, the 50th anniversary of NATO's founding and the 10th Anniversary
of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

From the beginning of my administration, I have worked hard to end the
Cold War division of Europe and to create, for the first time in
history, a Europe united in democracy, security and free market
prosperity. Now, we must continue to reach out to Russia, and include
this great nation in the fabric of Europe's emerging community of
democracies. We must open the doors of Europe's institutions that
nurtured peace, prosperity and security throughout the Cold War to
Europe's new democracies, excluding no nation that shares our values
and is willing and able to shoulder our common responsibilities.

NATO has never threatened any other nation, nor will an enlarged NATO
do so in the future. While NATO's new members will be full members of
the Alliance, NATO has no intention, no plan and no reason to deploy
nuclear weapons on the territory of new members.

We have made tremendous progress over the last four years in realizing
our vision of an undivided Europe at peace, and no one deserves more
credit than Warren Christopher. Thanks to his efforts,
Secretary-designate Madeleine Albright and my new national security
team will have a strong foundation on which to achieve that important
goal.

(end text)
NNNN

.