June 10, 1998

PRESS BRIEFING BY MIKE MCCURRY

                           THE WHITE HOUSE

                    Office of the Press Secretary
_____________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                  June 10, 1998


                           PRESS BRIEFING
                           BY MIKE MCCURRY


                          The Briefing Room


1:57 P.M. EDT
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	     Q	  Doesn't the Duma's action now kill any possibility 
of a Moscow trip this summer?
	     
	     MR. MCCURRY:  It doesn't kill the prospects for 
ratification of START II.  That's of vital interest to the United 
States and to the people of Russia as well, because it leads to 
further reductions in nuclear arsenals that will make the world a 
safer place. 
	     
	     But we don't take the postponement that the Duma has now 
invoked as the last word on the subject and we still have a great 
deal of confidence in the ability of the government to press for 
ratification.  We continue to press them for ratification.
	     
	     Q	  Might you go to Moscow anyway? 
	     
	     MR. MCCURRY:  Look, you've heard me on this subject 
before.  I've suggested to you there is not a direct hard linkage 
between these two things, but there is a clear design on the part of 
our government to deal with and advance the arms control dialogue we 
have with the Russian Federation in an environment in which START II 
has been ratified.

	     But we acknowledge that's not the only item on our 
agenda.  We've got a lot of work to do with the Russian Federation, 
but it clearly will proceed better if it's in an environment in which 
START II has been ratified.
	     
	     Q	  But they're not ruling out a trip, in other words.
	     
	     MR. MCCURRY:  I think I'm not changing what I've told 
you in the past on this in any way, shape, or form.
	     

	     Q	  Didn't the link used to be harder, though? 
	     
	     Q	  It sounds little bit like you were.  It sounds like 
in the past, Mike, you've said --
	     
	     MR. MCCURRY:  The link has never been that hard; it's 
been soft.  And I've always made it just right -- sort of kneaded it, 
so it comes out just perfect.
	     
	     Q	  As far as I remember, you always said that on the 
agenda would be START III, and if they haven't ratified START II then 
what would be the purpose of starting new talks if they haven't done 
the old talks?
	     
	     MR. MCCURRY:  You take great liberties with the profound 
and nuanced way that I expressed much that same thought.
	     
	     Q	   But he's right.  You started backing way two or 
three weeks ago. 
	     
	     MR. MCCURRY:  I'm right.
	     
	     Q	  You have to boil it down, though.
	     
	     Q	  What are you really saying now, sans nuance?
	     
	     Q	  Are you saying you were going?  Is their 
possibility that --
	     
	     MR. MCCURRY:  What I've said, what I'm really saying is, 
we have not ruled out holding a summit prior to START II 
ratification.  But as I've also noted, the work that President 
Clinton and President Yeltsin are going to do clearly will proceed in 
a more fruitful environment if START II has been ratified.
	     
	     Q	  But so it's possible that in July or this summer we 
could be going to Russia?
	     
	     MR. MCCURRY:  I haven't heard any discussions of any 
particular days and have no announcements for you now and will leave 
you guessing.  And since your travel plans always is the thing that 
intrigues you more than anything else, it will be a good subject for 
you to spend a lot of time on because it will take you away from 
other subjects. 

             END                          2:31 P.M. EDT