    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book II)]
    [December 9, 1994]
    [Pages 2168-2169]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Reception for Heads of State at the
    Summit of the Americas in Miami
    December 9, 1994

        Let's give all our distinguished guests a hand here. [Applause] To
    our distinguished heads of state, Vice President and Mrs. Gore, Members
    of the Congress and the Cabinet, Governor and Mrs. Chiles, Lieutenant
    Governor and Mrs. MacKay, Mayor Clark, to the distinguished leaders from
    the business community and nongovernmental organizations that work so
    wonderfully together, to the co-chairs and others from the host
    committee who have done such a wonderful job of putting together this
    extraordinary event, and to all of our distinguished guests from other
    lands, let me say a hearty welcome to this remarkable summit.
        Let me begin by thanking the wonderful city of Miami for rising so
    magnificently to the challenge of hosting the Summit of the Americas. If
    we leaders can match the dedication of the citizens of Miami and south
    Florida to the work of this week, we will truly bring our people and our
    hemisphere closer together.
        The end of the cold war has given all of us a great opportunity to
    build bridges where, for 50 years, only barriers stood. We in the United
    States have worked hard to seize this moment for peace and prosperity,
    from the Middle East to Northern Ireland to southern Africa to Haiti.
    And through our commitment to expanded trade through NAFTA and the GATT
    agreement, we are doing our best to demonstrate our willingness to reach
    out to the rest of the world to promote the peace and prosperity we all
    want.
        But here in our own hemisphere we are especially privileged, all of
    us, to live at a moment of great opportunity. And with that opportunity
    comes a heavy obligation upon all of us who occupy positions of
    leadership in this hemisphere. It is in the spirit of that opportunity
    and that obligation that I proudly welcome the 33 democratically elected
    leaders of the Americas to the United States and to Miami.

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        This week we have come together to build a better world and a better
    future for our children. Students of the Americas will recognize this as
    an old dream. In the 1820's, at the dawn of freedom for the new Latin
    American republics, Simon Bolivar dreamed the Americas could be the
    greatest region on Earth, I quote, ``not so much by virtue of her area
    and wealth, but by her freedom and her glory.'' Now, some 170 years
    later, Bolivar's dream for the Americas is becoming a reality. The
    people represented here are free, we are friends, and we are committed
    to creating the best century in our history. We can become true partners
    for prosperity, and we can begin this week.
        Our goals for the summit are clear: We want to extend free trade
    from Alaska to Argentina, we want to strengthen our democracies, and we
    want to improve the quality of life for all our people. It is clear that
    these goals are bound together. If we grow more prosperous through
    trade, we will strengthen our democracies and our friendship. If we
    confront our common problems, the common threats to democracy, in a
    spirit of genuine partnership, we will increase our chances at
    prosperity. And if together we can confront our common challenges in the
    environment, in health, and education to provide for long-term
    sustainable development, both our prosperity and our freedom will be
    secure.
        A partnership for prosperity, stronger democracies, improving our
    people's quality of life, these are the opportunities that lie before
    us. So, my fellow citizens of the Americas, let us make the most of
    them.
        Thank you very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 8 p.m. at the Biltmore Hotel Country Club.