    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book II)]
    [October 13, 1997]
    [Pages 1352-1353]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Reception With President Fernando Cardoso of Brazil in
    Brasilia
    October 13, 1997

        President and Mrs. Cardoso, members of the Brazilian Government, my
    fellow Americans, honored guests. Let me say, on behalf of all of us who
    are here, it is wonderful to be in Brazil, but it is especially
    wonderful for me. I have wanted to come here for a long time,

    [[Page 1353]]

    and even more since Hillary returned from her fantastic visit here.
        When President Cardoso made his state visit to the United States, I
    pledged to return the favor. And finally, the day has arrived, and I am
    in the City of the Sky, glad to be here. Thank you.
        Brazil has haunted my imagination for over 30 years, since I first
    fell in love with your music as a young man. And Brazil has loomed large
    in my vision of the future of this hemisphere and the world since I
    became President. I come to Brazil to strengthen our partnership in a
    spirit of respect and equality, a partnership rooted in common values
    and common aspirations.
        We have been friends in freedom for a long time. In 1824, the United
    States was the first nation to recognize Brazil's independence. In World
    War II, Brazil stood by America's side on the battlefields of Europe
    with a force of 25,000 troops to fight for liberty's survival.
        Now, at the dawn of the 21st century, the freedom we cherish is
    ascendant. Every nation in our hemisphere but one is a democracy. Open
    markets are taking root. Cooperation and trade are expanding. We have an
    opportunity to make all the Americas a stronghold of freedom and
    prosperity, of peace and security, advancing our own well-being and
    serving as a beacon of hope to others.
        With the largest populations and the largest economies in the
    Americas, sharing both the virtues and the challenges of our size and
    our diversity, Brazil and the United States both have a special
    obligation to lead this historic revolution now underway in the
    Americas.
        I applaud President Cardoso, his Government, and the Congress for
    all you have done to put your country squarely on the path to
    prosperity, with difficult decisions on economic reform. I hope your
    reformers and our actions to balance our budget for the first time since
    1969 will lay the foundation for a new burst of growth and opportunity
    throughout our region.
        I hope we can work even more closely together to lift the lives of
    our people by creating new jobs through open markets and open trade,
    improving education to enable all our children to thrive, expanding
    access to modern technology to connect all our people to the information
    age, combating drugs and organized crime, protecting the wonders of our
    shared environment, and helping our neighbors throughout the hemisphere
    to resolve their conflicts peacefully.
        Already, Brazil has given so much to the United States. You have
    given us artists like Candido Portinari, whose murals hang in our
    Library of Congress in Washington; innovative writers like Jorge Amado;
    and explorers from Alberto Santos-Dumont, the father of aviation, to the
    Brazilian astronaut who will soon come to NASA to train for the
    international space station. You have given us athletes, from the
    magnificent Pele to the World Cup champions who made Los Angeles feel
    like Rio for a day.
        And no matter what language our people speak, you have given us all
    reason to sing, from the batucada of Bahia to the bossa nova, from the
    rhythm of samba to the rock of tropicalismo, from the quiet choro to the
    lively forro. In Brazilian music, many influences come together to form
    something wonderful and unique. In the same way, the rich diversity of
    your people and the American people make both our nations special and
    strong.
        Both of us have a long tradition of welcoming immigrants from
    distant shores who want to build a better life for their children. We
    share a belief that we can live together and learn together, work
    together and grow together, no matter what our color, our creed.
        In a world where nations are still torn apart because some people
    fight over their differences when they should respect, accommodate, even
    celebrate them, Brazil and the United States have a special ability and
    a special responsibility to show a better way.
        Mr. President, as we reach for the future, America reaches out to
    Brazil with a hand of friendship and a pledge of partnership. We share a
    vision of a better tomorrow. When I first met you shortly before you
    were inaugurated President, I said to myself, there is a person who can
    imagine the future. I hope we will build it together.
        Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 8:22 p.m. in the Brasilia Room at the
    Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In his remarks, he referred to President
    Cardoso's wife, Ruth.