    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book I)]
    [March 17, 1995]
    [Pages 367-369]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Saint Patrick's Day Ceremony With Prime Minister
    John Bruton of Ireland and an Exchange With Reporters
    March 17, 1995

        The President. Good morning. Please be seated. Happy St. Patrick's
    Day. It's a great pleasure for me to welcome the Prime Minister here.
    This is the Taoiseach's first visit to the United States since he
    assumed office. So on this St. Patrick's Day, I think we should begin
    with an appropriate greeting, Ceade mile failte, a hundred thousand
    welcomes.
        Mr. Prime Minister, I think, in this symbolic ceremony, you should
    go first. So I want to turn the microphone over to you.
        Prime Minister Bruton. Thank you very much. Mr. President, Mr. Vice
    President, Secretary of State, ladies and gentlemen: It's a wonderful
    honor for me to be received here as the leader of an Irish Government of
    a country, Ireland, that's now at peace, at peace after 25 years of
    violence.
        I want to say that you, Mr. President, probably as much as any
    individual, have helped to bring that about. When you look back on your
    administration, I think the bringing of peace to Ireland will rank as
    one of your major personal achievements. The willingness that you
    showed, Mr. President, to take risks, to do things that many of us might
    have thought were foolhardy at the time, like granting a visa to Gerry
    Adams--it has been proven to be--you have been proven to be right. You
    made the right decision.
        The results are there for all of us to see, because you gave that
    organization the sense of confidence in itself and a glimpse of the
    political dividend that was there for them by pursuing a peaceful rather
    than a violent path. That vista that you opened up to them by that
    decision enabled them, gave them the confidence to end their campaign
    and take a new road.
        Others need to show similar courage and generosity. And I know that
    the United States will be willing to play the same crucial role in being
    a friend to all in Ireland and encouraging all in Ireland to be generous
    risktakers, as you have been, Mr. President, in your dealings with
    Ireland since the commencement of your administration.
        My purposes in coming here today, on St. Patrick's Day, is to thank
    you very, very much, from the bottom of my heart, for what you have done
    and to look forward to working with you and your administration and,
    indeed, Congress on a bipartisan basis on building on this, your great
    achievement.
        The President. Thank you.
        Prime Minister Bruton. Now, Mr. President, it is my high honor to
    present you with some shamrocks to celebrate this great day.
        The President. Thank you very much, Mr. Prime Minister, for the
    beautiful gift, the beautiful Irish crystal. I hope the shamrocks will
    bring us the luck of the Irish over the next few months. [Laughter]
        Today we don't have to look much further than the green ties and the
    dresses in this room to be reminded of the bonds between the United
    States and Ireland, the common heritage we share and have shared since
    the beginning of our country's existence. Much of America's love of
    freedom has Irish roots, whether our ancestors were Catholics or
    Protestants. Four signers of the Declaration of Independence were born
    in Ireland. At least nine more were of Irish descent. And many of our
    bravest soldiers in the Revolutionary War were Irish-Americans.

    [[Page 368]]

        Today the Irish are still fighting the good fight, the fight for
    peace in Lebanon and Somalia and the Balkans. Irish troops under U.N.
    command have braved great dangers in the quest for peace. Ireland has
    also opened a school to train U.N. peacekeepers from other nations so
    that we may all benefit from Ireland's experience.
        Ireland has demonstrated its commitment to peace most powerfully, of
    course, in the efforts to end the violence in Northern Ireland. On this
    St. Patrick's Day, as the Taoiseach said, Northern Ireland is closer
    than at any time in a generation to a just and lasting settlement of the
    differences of the people who share that small country's land.
        At this historic moment, I salute Prime Minister Bruton for his
    tireless efforts for peace and for continuing the work of his
    predecessor, Prime Minister Reynolds, in completing the joint framework
    document for Northern Ireland with the British Prime Minister, John
    Major, who also deserves our salutes for the brave risks that he has
    taken to make peace. This is a landmark step for all the parties to
    bring them together and forge a new partnership for reconciliation.
        Today I want to take this opportunity, this St. Patrick's Day, once
    again to urge all the parties to look carefully at the framework, to
    accept it as the basis for moving forward. I call on all those who still
    resort to violence to end the beatings, the intimidations, the
    shootings. To those who have laid down their arms, I ask you now to take
    the next step and begin to seriously discuss getting rid of these
    weapons so they can never be used again and violence will never again
    return to the land.
        I welcome the statement by Sinn Fein, reiterating its readiness to
    include the issue of weapons in the talks with the British Government.
    It must be included, and progress must be made.
        As we have in the past, the United States stands ready to help those
    who are taking risks for peace. Our economic initiatives in Ireland are
    proceeding under the supervision of former Senator George Mitchell. In
    May we are hosting a White House Conference on Trade and Investment in
    Ireland. And there's tremendous interest in this conference from our
    private sector.
        Mr. Prime Minister, the United States will continue to support your
    efforts and those of Prime Minister Major. You have done very much to
    bring the prospect of a new day to Northern Ireland.
        I'm also pleased to announce that beginning April 1st, Irish
    citizens visiting the United States on vacations or business will no
    longer require visas. This step is another demonstration of our
    confidence in the future of Ireland and the strong ties between our
    nations.
        I finally want to say that I am very much looking forward to our
    reception tonight at the White House. I'm glad that you, Mr. Prime
    Minister, and Mrs. Bruton will join us. And we're going to have a high
    old Irish time. [Laughter]
        In closing, let me thank the Secretary of State and our fine
    Ambassador to Ireland, Jean Kennedy Smith, for the work they have done
    in supporting the White House and the President in our efforts to help
    you bring peace.
        Thank you all very much.

    Northern Ireland Peace Process

        Q. Mr. President, may I ask you, first of all, how you have reacted
    to what appears to be an implied British Government criticism of your
    decision to allow Mr. Adams to come into this country? And do you agree
    with those other Irish-Americans who seem to believe that the British
    Government and that John Major is being slow, too slow, in allowing his
    ministers to talk to Mr. Adams?
        The President. Well, let me answer it in this way. First of all, I
    have had a good relationship during my Presidency with Prime Minister
    Major. And the United States has had a very unique and powerful
    relationship with Great Britain for a very long time. We may differ from
    time to time about the specific actions that each would take, but our
    goal is the same. And I think we all have to recognize the risks that
    Prime Minister Major has taken for peace within the context in which he
    must operate.
        So I look forward to having a chance to visit with him in the next
    couple of days about this, and I'm basically very positive about it. And
    if you're the President of the United States, there are days when you're
    grateful for implied criticism. Most of it's expressed. [Laughter]
        Q. Mr. President, you were asking for people who have guns and have
    used them in Ireland to take the next step. How soon do you think that
    next step might be taken by the IRA and Sinn Fein?

    [[Page 369]]

        The President. Well, I know that it couldn't come soon enough for
    me. And this whole business about weapons decommissioning is, obviously,
    critical to the completion of the process. And we here in the United
    States have reached out not only to Sinn Fein but also to the Unionists.
    The Prime Minister has pointed that out. The Vice President and my
    National Security Adviser have, on more than one occasion, tried to
    establish contacts to make sure we were reaching out to everyone in
    Northern Ireland.
        And the important thing to me is that we keep pushing this process
    and keep it going in the right direction. And I have every confidence
    that that will occur.
        Wolf [Wolf Blitzer, Cable News Network].

    Russia

        Q. Mr. President, President Yeltsin announced that he's willing to
    eliminate military hardware from his V-E parade on May 9th in order to
    encourage you to join others in Moscow to celebrate the 50th anniversary
    of the end of World War II. Is that enough to encourage you to go to
    Moscow, and will you include a trip to Ireland after that? [Laughter]
        The President. Well, I appreciate what President Yeltsin said today.
    And I expect to be making a decision about that whole set of issues very
    shortly. And when I do, I'll announce it.
        Q. Mr. President, is Chechnya the stumbling block?

    Northern Ireland Peace Process

        Q. Mr. President, What pressures can the U.S. administration bring
    on Sinn Fein, particularly in regards to the decommissioning of arms?
    And was there a quid pro quo in that area for your granting a visa to
    Gerry Adams to fundraise in the United States?
        The President. Well, certainly his prompt statement about the
    willingness of Sinn Fein to discuss arms decommissioning had an
    influence on my decision. I think it's important that the United States
    take some steps along the way, as the Prime Minister has said, to keep
    this process going. When others take appropriate steps, I think it makes
    it a lot easier for us to do the same thing.
        Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:40 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House. In his remarks, he referred to Gerry Adams, leader of Sinn
    Fein.