[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 7 (Monday, February 21, 1994)]
[Pages 305-306]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
<R04>
Remarks Announcing the Saudi Arabian Aircraft Contract and an Exchange
With Reporters
February 16, 1994
The President. Thank you very much, Secretary Brown. Ladies and
gentlemen, in this Olympic season, we come here today to announce a gold
medal win for America's businesses and workers.
Last year the Government of Saudi Arabia decided to find replacement
aircraft for its civilian fleet of approximately 50 airplanes. Today,
the Saudi Ambassador, Prince Bandar, has officially informed me that
King Fahd has decided to purchase the entire replacement fleet from
American companies, from Boeing and McDonnell Douglas. The purchase will
be financed by the United States Export-Import Bank. It will total
almost $6 billion and will support tens of thousands of American jobs in
Washington, California, Kansas, Missouri, Utah, Arkansas, and several
other States.
The purchase is a vote of confidence in American quality, American
workers, and the competitiveness of our exports. As Secretary Brown
said, it underlines the efforts that we have made, from NAFTA to GATT to
the APEC conference to our national export strategy in lifting export
controls on many products which for many years could not be sold abroad,
to expand our markets, to reduce trade barriers, to create good high-
paying jobs in America in a thriving and open world economy. It proves
again that we can compete; we don't have to retreat.
The United States and Saudi Arabia have long enjoyed close
relations. We have especially strong commercial relations in the field
of civil aviation. With today's announcement, this proud tradition will
continue well into the next century. Close economic ties complement the
important political and strategic relationship that we have and that we
value greatly with Saudi Arabia.
Let me note that I have already spoken directly with many Members of
Congress and Governors and other State and local officials whose
constituents will benefit from this sale. The message I gave them is
simple: We worked hard on this, and we will continue to work hard at
home and abroad to help our people thrive in the global economy.
In closing, let me thank especially King Fahd, Prince Bandar, and
the Government of Saudi Arabia for this decision; Secretaries Brown,
Christopher, and Pena; Tony Lake and others in the White House,
including Bob Rubin and Mr. McLarty, all of whom had some role in this.
We all spent a lot of time over a long period on this. The sustained
effort that was done is another product of the teamwork that we try to
practice in our administration. Secretaries Brown, Christopher, and Pena
all personally traveled to Riyadh in part to emphasize the importance of
this sale to our country. And I thank them especially for that.
Let me also offer my congratulations to the management and to the
employees of Boeing and McDonnell Douglas. Your hard work really made
this possible. We just tried to bring it to the surface. America should
be proud of this day. And I hope this day will lead us to many others
like it.
Thank you very much.
Q. Mr. President, it's been reported that you personally called on
King Fahd to buy American-made aircraft. I'm wondering if this means
that you'll be taking a much more active role in drumming up business
for U.S. firms? For instance, in Vietnam, since you've recently lifted
the trade embargo there, might you encourage leaders in that country to
purchase U.S. aircraft?
The President. It depends on what the facts are in any case. I think
you can say, first of all, that the Secretary of Commerce has showed an
historic level of activism, not only in this area but in many others.
The Secretary of State has done a remarkable job in a short period of
time in changing the culture of many of our embassies and getting
[[Page 306]]
them in country after country after country much more involved in trying
to promote commercial activities and working with the Commerce
Department and others.
The Secretary of Transportation has, I think, focused on the global
aspects of his job more than any of his predecessors that I can think
of. So I think what you could say is that this administration will be
aggressively involved in this kind of endeavor. When I think it is
appropriate and potentially helpful, I don't mind asking for the
business. But I think it's something I don't want to lay down a general
rule of thumb on because I think it will have to be taken on a case-by-
case basis.
Japan-U.S. Trade
Q. Mr. President, are you still contemplating more sanctions against
Japan, or can you rule that out for now?
The President. Well, ever since the talks I had with Prime Minister
Hosokawa, we've been reviewing our options, consulting with our friends,
and trying to assess what course we ought to take. And I think sometime
in the next few days my economic team--Mr. Rubin is here--and our
national security team will come back with a set of options and
recommendations to me. And then I'll have something to say about that.
That is different from, of course, the announcement which was made
yesterday by Ambassador Kantor on the cellular telephone issue. That's
an issue of longstanding development.
Saudi Arabian Aircraft Contract
Q. Mr. President and Prince Bandar, actually, does this emphasis on
redoing the Saudi commercial airline system, does it sort of represent a
shift in priorities and a shift in emphasis? Does the Saudi Government
no longer feel as much of a military threat perhaps as it did before and
feel the need to--[inaudible].
Prince Bandar. No, just means Saudi needs to modernize its fleet,
that's all. [Laughter]
The President. For those of you who don't know it, the Prince is an
accomplished pilot, trained on American fighters in the United States,
and he just wants to always see them in the best and the newest
airplanes. [Laughter]
Thank you very much.
Note: The President spoke at 10:12 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
White House.