Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater on the President's Meeting With Chancellor Helmut Kohl of the Federal Republic of Germany Prior to the Houston Economic Summit

President Bush met with Chancellor Kohl for approximately an hour this morning and discussed the summit agenda. Chancellor Kohl congratulated President Bush on the success of the NATO summit. Both Presidents expressed appreciation for the Soviet response.

The two leaders discussed President Gorbachev's letter to the [economic] summit and their positions on aid to the Soviet Union. President Bush said he understood the German desire for unilateral support to the Soviet Union. President Bush emphasized that the United States supports perestroika and glasnost and had suggested a variety of technical economic assistance measures in support of President Gorbachev's efforts. President Bush indicated that we continue to believe that further economic reforms and changes in Soviet military spending are necessary before we can consider direct aid.

The two leaders discussed the progress of change in Eastern Europe and reviewed the democracies emerging in Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia.

Both the President and the Chancellor expressed great concern about the world environment and pledged to continue efforts at reducing pollution and preserving forests on a global basis.