[EXCERPT]TRANSCRIPT: WHITE HOUSE DAILY BRIEFING, MARCH 19, 1998

(Africa trip, NATO, Cuba, Russia/Kosovo, Judge's heavy sentence for
Espy aide, Northern Ireland, Jordan/Hussein) (5130)


White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry briefed.
Following is the White House transcript:

(begin transcript)

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
March 19, 1998

PRESS BRIEFING BY MIKE MCCURRY
The Briefing Room

....................


MCCURRY: Let me do one more -- just one other on my dime before we
move on.


The President will -- as far as tomorrow, he does want to do something
to mark the importance and significance of the debate now underway in
the Senate on NATO expansion and ratification. He will have an event
in the East Room tomorrow at about 12:30 p.m. which will include
members of his national security team, the Diplomatic Corps, members
of Congress, probably a number of others. And the President wants to
take that opportunity to put his own personal message of importance or
attach his own measure of importance to the historic opportunity that
exists to expand the frontiers of democracy and freedom in Europe by
engaging with our three new potential NATO allies.


Q: Isn't that pretty much a done deal, I mean with Jesse Helms on
board?


MCCURRY: It is perhaps a done deal and certainly the indications from
the Senate are that this major initiative which the President now has
patiently pursued for four years is going to come to a successful
result very soon. Regardless of that, given the historic significance
of expanding this treaty alliance, which is arguably the most
important treaty alliance in the history of the human race, given the
importance of that moment which we take on three new allies, the
President wants to address it prior to his departure.

..............

(end transcript)