Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater on the President's Meeting with President Alfredo Cristiani of El Salvador

President Bush held a half-hour private meeting today with President Alfredo Cristiani of El Salvador. President Bush congratulated President Cristiani for his great personal leadership and courage in bringing peace to his country. He also praised the progress President Cristiani has made toward implementing the peace agreements signed earlier this month in Mexico City and achieving true national reconciliation. The President gave his assurance that the United States would do everything possible to support full implementation of the peace accord and to help El Salvador consolidate democracy and peace and expand economic opportunity. In this regard, the President mentioned that the United States Government was working with other governments to assure international support for the national reconstruction of El Salvador. The President also promised to work with Congress on a bipartisan basis for continued United States assistance to El Salvador in the future, through both direct aid programs and debt reduction under the Enterprise for the Americas Initiative (EAI). United States assistance and international support will be vital to the continued success of the peace process and national reconciliation in El Salvador.