[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book II)]
[September 13, 1993]
[Pages 1484-1485]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at a Dinner Honoring Former Presidents
September 13, 1993

    Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please. The 
microphone's not on, so I'll just speak.
    First, let me welcome you all to the White House and thank you all 
for being part of a great and promising day for the United States and 
for the Middle East and for the entire world.
    I am so pleased that we could end this magnificent day with a 
gathering of many of the great American leaders who made this day 
possible. I want to salute all my predecessors who are here: President 
Ford, President Carter, President Bush, and especially acknowledge the 
contributions of President Carter at Camp David and President Bush in 
starting the peace talks in Madrid, President Ford for his wise 
leadership during a pivotal time in the history of the Middle East. I 
want to thank the Secretaries of State who worked tirelessly over many 
years for peace in the Middle East: Henry Kissinger, George Shultz, 
Cyrus Vance, James Baker, Larry Eagleburger, and of course, my own 
Secretary and good friend, Warren Christopher. I thank the Congress for 
the essential role that it plays in providing the guidance, the 
resources, and the bipartisan support. The Speaker is here and our 
majority leader, Dick Gephardt, the Senate and House whips, Senators 
Ford and Simpson, Congressmen Bonior and Gingrich. And I want to thank 
all the rest of you who are here who have made a contribution to the 
remarkable events that are unfolding today.
    In this room we represent both political parties and, I think it's 
fair to say, a fairly wide array of views about public events. But we do

[[Page 1485]]

have this in common: We agree that the United States must continue to 
exert its leadership if there is to be hope in this world of taking 
advantage of the end of the cold war, great hunger of people all over 
the world for democracy and freedom and peace and prosperity.
    In the days ahead I ask you all to be willing to provide counsel to 
our administration and bipartisan support to sustain the role that the 
United States must pursue in the world. In the face of difficulties and 
dangers and in the pursuit of a better world, we must lead.
    One of our efforts begins tomorrow when all the Presidents and 
former Secretaries of State who are here join me in the formal kickoff 
of our efforts to secure passage of the North American Free Trade 
Agreement. I know that will require great effort and bipartisanship, but 
I believe we will succeed because of the stakes for ourselves 
economically and politically in this hemisphere.
    Tonight, however, let us for the moment rest on the laurels of the 
United States of America and toast peace and progress and the prosperity 
of the American people.

Note: The President spoke at 9:15 p.m. in the Blue Room at the White 
House.