The new era in world affairs which we experienced during the first six months of this Administration unleashed forces for change in the succeeding six months which swept out decades of one-party communist domination in Central and Eastern Europe and led to new opportunities for democracy around the globe. The dramatic changes in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe made the second half of 1989 one of the most significant turning points of the century. Few could have anticipated the rapidity with which the promise of democratic change began to be ful filled. In these six months, Hungary agreed to destroy the Iron Curtain along its border with Austria. Non-communist governments took office in Poland and Czechoslovakia. A most dramatic step towards freedom was taken on November 9 when the East German government began to dismantle the Berlin Wall and permitted free travel between East and West, allowing German families divided for a generation by the border to rejoin their loved ones. Throughout this period, the United States took the lead in supporting democratic and economic reform throughout Central and Eastern Europe. I visited Poland and Hungary in July, and we initiated a major economic support package-$1 billion to assist those countries moving towards democracy and market-oriented economics. In response to the desires of the German people, the United States took a strong stand in favor of German unification, a goal we have long shared with them. Our support of democracy was just as strong near our shores. We saw democracy return to Panama thanks to the skill and courage of the men and women of our Armed Forces. In September I unveiled a new proposal before the United Nations aimed at ridding the world of the scourge of chemical weapons. I met the next month in San Jose, Costa Rica, with the leaders of all the countries of the Western Hemisphere. In December President Gorbachev and I made progress in the areas of arms control, regional conflicts, and bilateral issues during meetings off Malta. We addressed for the first time many issues at the heart of the East-West conflict and set an ambitious agenda for moving beyond containment towards an era of enduring coopera tion. Domestically, we continued to work to build a better America. December marked the 85th month of economic expansion. Inflation remained under control, job creation rose, and our international trade position continued to improve. In September I convened an Education Summit with the Nation's Governors and the Cabinet in Charlottesville, Virginia, at which we resolved to develop national education goals and promote accountability in all education efforts. In years to come, looking back upon the "Revolution of '89," I believe we will see this time as a period when much of what the Western democracies sought since the end of World War II began to come to fruition. The challenge before us is to remain steadfast in our goals, never settling for less than the better world that is within our reach. Ay Bush Preface This book contains the papers and speeches of the 41st President of the United States that were issued by the Office of the Press Secretary during the period July 1-December 31, 1989. The material has been compiled and published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration. The material is presented in chronological order, and the dates shown in the headings are the dates of the documents or events. In instances when the release date differs from the date of the document itself, that fact is shown in the textnote. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy: Remarks are checked against a tape recording, and signed documents are checked against the original. Textnotes and cross references have been provided by the editors for purposes of identification or clarity. Speeches were delivered in Washington, DC, unless indicated. The times noted are local times. All materials that are printed full-text in the book have been indexed in the subject and name indexes, and listed in the document categories list. The Public Papers of the Presidents series was begun in 1957 in response to a recommendation of the National Historical Publications Commission. An extensive compilation of messages and papers of the Presidents covering the period 1789 to 1897 was assembled by James D. Richardson and published under congressional authority between 1896 and 1899. Since then, various private compilations have been issued, but there was no uniform publication comparable to the Congressional Record or the United States Supreme Court Reports. Many Presidential papers could be found only in the form of mimeographed White House releases or as reported in the press. The Commission therefore recommended the establishment of an official series in which Presidential writings, addresses, and remarks of a public nature could be made available. The Commission's recommendation was incorporated in regulations of the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register, issued under section 6 of the Federal Register Act (44 U.S.C. 1506), which may be found in title 1, part 10, of the Code of Federal Regulations. A companion publication to the Public Papers series, the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, was begun in 1965 to provide a broader range of Presidential materials on a more timely basis to meet the needs of the contemporary reader. Beginning with the administration of Jimmy Carter, the Public Papers series expanded its coverage to include all material as printed in the Weekly Compilation. That coverage provides a listing of the President's daily schedule and meetings, when announced, and other items of general interest issued by the Office of the Press Secretary. Also included are lists of the President's nominations submitted to the Senate, materials released by the Office of the Press Secretary that are not printed full-text in the book, acts approved by the President, and proclamations and Executive orders. This information appears in the appendixes at the end of the book. Volumes covering the administrations of Presidents Hoover, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan are also available. The Public Papers of the Presidents publication program is under the Gwen H. Estep. The Chief Editor of this book was William King Banks, E.B. Swidal, Karen Howard Ashlin, and Bill Rozday. White House liaison was provided by Marlin Fitzwater, Assistant to th and Press Secretary. The frontispiece and photographs used in the po supplied by the White House Photo Office. The typography and design were developed by the Government Printing Office under the direction W. Houk, Public Printer. Martha L. Girard Director of the Federal Register Don W. Wilson Archivist of the United States |