Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater on President Bush's Meeting With President Francois Mitterrand of France Prior to the Houston Economic Summit

President Bush and President Mitterrand met for about an hour this morning to discuss the summit agenda. They had lengthy talks on the Uruguay round and the prospect for a summit statement that moves the Uruguay round forward.

They talked about a number of environmental issues, including the general progress that summit countries have made in cleaning up various pollutants, in preserving their forests, and in balancing economic and environmental objectives.

The two Presidents were encouraged by the Soviet response to their recent NATO communique. Both the United States and France want to support perestroika and glasnost and encourage the success of President Gorbachev. They discussed the role of economic support and considered the economic possibilities raised in the letter to the [economic] summit from President Gorbachev. President Bush reiterated the U.S. position that we believe technical economic assistance is appropriate; and he has proposed several steps, both at Malta and in Washington, which should be helpful. However, the United States continues to believe that further economic reforms and spending priorities in the Soviet Union are necessary before direct aid is justified.