Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater on President Bush's Meeting With Giulio Andreotti, Prime Minister of Italy and President of the European Council

Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti, in his capacity as President of the European Community, met with President Bush today from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. The two leaders met privately for approximately 30 minutes on bilateral issues. Prime Minister Andreotti was joined by EC Commission President Jacques Delors and by Italian Foreign Minister De Michelis in the plenary session. Secretaries Baker and Brady and national security adviser Scowcroft attended on the U.S. side.

President Bush had fruitful discussions with the Prime Minister on a wide range of issues of mutual interest to the United States and the EC. He particularly praised the Community's firm resolve in the international effort to contain Iraqi aggression in the Gulf region and singled out Prime Minister Andreotti's leadership in this regard.

President Bush also discussed with the Prime Minister and with Commission President Delors the importance of achieving success in the Uruguay round trade negotiations, in the interest of strengthening and further liberalizing the international trading system. It was agreed that renewed efforts at top political levels would be made so as to achieve the common ground on the issue of agricultural subsidies which is needed to move beyond the present impasse in the GATT negotiations.

There was also discussion of the close partnership that both the United States and the EC seek on the whole range of issues of mutual interest. In this connection, a U.S. - EC Declaration of Principles is currently in the final stages of preparation. The declaration would further institutionalize the already extensive U.S. - EC consultations that exist on most issues of common interest.