    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book I)]
    [May 9, 1995]
    [Pages 660-661]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a State Dinner in Moscow
    May 9, 1995

        President Yeltsin, President Mitterrand, Prime Minister Major,
    Chancellor Kohl, Mr. Secretary-General, ladies and gentlemen:
        Tonight we gather to recall one victory and the countless millions
    of sacrifices that produced it. It is fitting for all of us that we
    recall that day here in Russia, where virtually every family had a loss
    to mourn and a hero to remember.
        A crowded 50 years separates us today from that moment. Yet it is
    still near in so many ways, woven with the entire war into the living
    memory of our civilization. Each of us has been touched by that war,
    even those who were born after its end.
        World War II left us lessons, not for an evening but for a lifetime.
    We would be remiss not to mention two of them tonight. The first is the
    extraordinary power of men and women who joined together to fight for a
    just cause. The heroism of those who confronted and defeated tyranny,
    the alliance of Soviets, British, French, Chinese, Canadians, Yugoslavs,
    Poles, Americans, and so many more will forever remind people of the
    strength that is found in common purpose.
        It inspires us here today. One-time opponents are now valued and
    trusting friends. And with Russia's turn to democracy, the alliance for
    freedom stands on the verge of great new possibility. Together we can
    face vistas of promise which separately we could never even imagine. And
    together we can face the challenges to our humanity in this age:
    terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and the
    continued lust for killing based on ethnic, religious, or tribal
    differences.
        As we look to new horizons in the new century, let us remember also
    another lesson of the Great War, the resilience of hope. Our nations
    prevailed because they never lost hope. It is the touchstone of our
    humanity.
        Let us renew that hope tonight. And let us remember the words of
    Olga Berggolts, the poet of the awful siege of Leningrad. She said,
    ``Again from the black dust, from the place of death and ashes, will
    arise the garden as before. So it will be. I firmly believe in
    miracles.'' The resolve of her city, the perseverance of its people in
    the face of unspeakable horror, gave her that belief in miracles.
    Fortified by the wonders we have seen in just the last 6 years, that
    belief surely lives on with us today.
        And so, ladies and gentlemen, I propose a toast tonight to the
    heroism of 50 years ago; to the honor of the Russian people and the
    other Soviet peoples in the awful losses they suffered and what they
    gave to us; and most of all, to the hope that will carry us onward to
    miraculous new days ahead.
        Thank you very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 7:31 p.m. in the Palace of Congresses at
    the Kremlin. In his remarks, he referred to United Nations Secretary-
    General Boutros Boutros-Ghali.

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