THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                          (New York, New York)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                  September 6, 2000


                      REMARKS BY PRESIDENT CLINTON
                          AND PRESIDENT PUTIN
                          IN PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

                            Waldorf-Astoria
                           New York, New York


11:25 A.M. EDT


     Q    Have you any expectations?

     PRESIDENT PUTIN:  Only positive expectations.

     PRESIDENT CLINTON:  I agree with that.  This is just part of our
ongoing, regular consultation.  We're going to have another chance to
meet in Asia in a couple of months, and we have a lot of things to talk
about.  But it's part of our continuing effort to strengthen our
relationships and to help our people.

     Q    (Question asked in Russian.)

     PRESIDENT PUTIN:  (Answers in Russian.)

     PRESIDENT CLINTON:  Thank you.  Let me just say one thing about ABM
issue.  We have worked together on nuclear issues very closely for
virtually the whole time I've been in office, and actually, for quite a
long time before that, before I became President.  The decision that I
made last week on our missile defense will create an opportunity for
President Putin and the next American President to reach a common
position.  And I hope they can, because I think it's very important for
the future that we continue to work together.

     When we work together, we can destroy thousands of tons of nuclear
materials and lots of nuclear weapons, and work together in the Balkans
for peace.  I mean, we can get a lot of things done if we work together.
So I hope that the decision that I made will enable my successor and
President Putin to resolve this issue and to continue working together
on all the arms control issues.

     Q    Mr. President, the deadline set by Israel and the Palestinians
is a week from today.  Do you have any reason to believe that there
might be something worked out by this time, or would you like the
parties to discard the deadline?

     PRESIDENT CLINTON:  Well, I haven't met with them yet, but I think
that -- I think we can work through that if there's a sense of progress.
And one of the things I hope I have a chance to talk to President Putin
about -- but I think the main thing they have to decide is whether there
is going to be an agreement within what is the real calendar, which is
the calendar that is ticking in the Middle East against the political
realities in Israel, as well as for the Palestinians.  There's a limit
to how long they have, and it's not very much longer.

     END 11:30 A.M. EDT