    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book I)]
    [June 21, 1997]
    [Pages 777-778]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the Opening of the First Working Session of the Summit of the
    Eight in Denver
    June 21, 1997

        I'm very pleased to welcome my fellow leaders to Denver as we open
    this Summit of the Eight. And I want to say a special welcome to our
    friend President Yeltsin, who joins us for the first time from the
    beginning to the end of this meeting. Russia's growing role in the
    shared world of market democracies reflects the progress and the
    potential of this age.
        We meet at a moment of remarkable possibility for our nations and
    for the world. Powerful forces are drawing our nations closer together,
    delivering the promise of prosperity and security to more people than
    ever, changes that, like

    [[Page 778]]

    this, bring vast opportunities as we approach the new century, but we
    also know they bring new challenges. Our citizens must have the skills
    they need to succeed in a fast-changing economy. And as barriers fall,
    problems that start in one country can spread quickly to another,
    whether they are currency crises, organized crime, or outbreaks of
    deadly diseases.
        Our challenge in this moment of peace and stability is to organize
    ourselves for the future, to make change work for us, not against us. We
    must seize the opportunities of the global economy to expand our own
    prosperity, bring in other nations that want to share in its benefits,
    and work together to meet the new threats. None of our nations can meet
    these challenges alone, and more than ever our summit process is an
    engine of common progress.
        Over the next 2 days, we'll discuss the best ways to deepen and
    extend the benefits of the 21st century marketplace, to help our
    societies thrive as our populations grow older, to strengthen further
    the stability of the world financial system, to generate economic growth
    throughout the world. We'll continue our efforts to bring new partners
    in Africa and elsewhere into the community of market democracies. And
    we'll strengthen our growing cooperation to meet threats to our common
    security, such as our rapid response network to fight nuclear smuggling,
    common endeavors to combat terrorism, and initiatives to stem infectious
    disease, including the search for an AIDS vaccine.
        It is fitting that we meet in a public library, a place where people
    come together to learn and share ideas without regard to their own
    backgrounds. If we pool our strength, we can achieve great things for
    all our people and the world. I look forward to addressing those
    challenges with my fellow leaders over the next few days, and again, I
    welcome them to Denver.
        Thank you very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:10 a.m. at the Denver Public Library. In
    his remarks, he referred to President Boris Yeltsin of Russia.