    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book II)]
    [July 12, 1997]
    [Pages 954-956]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to the Citizens of Copenhagen
    July 12, 1997

        Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Prime Minister and Lone and
    Madam Vice Prime Minister and Mr. Jelved, Lord Mayor, Madam Chair of the
    Council. Ladies and gentlemen of Denmark, thank you for the wonderful
    welcome. I would also like to express my thanks for all of those who
    entertained you with music before we began. Thank you all very much.
        Let me say I am delighted to be the first sitting American President
    ever to visit Denmark. I had planned to come earlier, as some of you
    know, but I injured my leg. And I thank you for allowing me to wait
    until my leg healed, so the first sitting American President could also
    be a standing American President. [Laughter] When I first visited
    Copenhagen in 1969, I was just one student among many who were traveling
    here. But in all the years since, I have never forgotten the beauty of
    this city or the warmth of the Danish people. And it is very good to be
    back.
        We gather today at the end of what will long be remembered as a week
    in which a new era of promise was launched for all Europe. It is the
    bond between our two nations and the bond of the alliance of all nations
    in the North Atlantic alliance that has brought us to this moment of
    hope and possibility at the dawn of a new century.
        This week in Madrid, we adapted NATO to meet the new security
    challenges of the 21st century. They will face us all: ethnic hatreds,
    the weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, drug running, things that
    cross national borders. We invited three new nations from Central Europe
    to join NATO. We opened the door to all the

    [[Page 955]]

    region's new democracies. We forged closer ties with our partners
    throughout the continent. Together we have now moved closer to realizing
    our 50-year-old dream: a Europe undivided, democratic, and at peace for
    the very first time since nation-states arose on this continent. And I
    thank the Government and the people of Denmark for their leadership in
    realizing this vision.
        America's unbroken ties with the Kingdom of Denmark are the oldest
    we have with any nation in the world. The American people have benefited
    beyond measure, in the stories of Danish writers like Karen Blixen and
    Peter Hoeg; in the philosophy of Kierkegaard, who I am told once lived
    on this very square; in the fables of Hans Christian Andersen who
    teaches our children that emperors sometimes have no clothes but that
    ugly ducklings can turn into swans. [Laughter] It is said that every
    Dane has a relative in America. Today I can tell you, all Americans know
    they have a friend in Denmark.
        Above all, I want to thank Denmark for the extraordinary example you
    have set for being a force for good far beyond your numbers. Denmark may
    be a small nation, but you are a very large reason why I believe we're
    on the verge of a great new age of possibility.
        First, Denmark has been a pioneer in showing the world how a nation
    can succeed, both in creating a strong economy and a good society that
    provides opportunity for all its citizens and supports those in need, a
    society bound together by shared values and respect for real
    differences. We can all learn from your efforts to educate your people
    for a lifetime, to give them the tools necessary to make the most of
    their own lives in a time of global, economic, and technological change.
        Second, you have shown us the power of a nation to act with
    compassion and humanity. During World War II, Denmark's rescue of its
    Jewish citizens from deportation and death camps set a standard for
    moral courage that will stir the hearts of free people forever.
        Denmark has always made overcoming barriers a national mission, and
    that is the third point I want to make. A thousand years ago, your
    seafaring ancestors pushed back the barriers of the known world. You are
    still doing that. Just as Tycho Brahe mapped the structure of the
    heavens and Niels Bohr charted the inner workings of the atom, the
    Danish people time and time again reach beyond borders and go on.
        Over the last half century, you have looked past the borders of this
    prosperous land and made the freedom and well-being of others your
    concern: leading the global effort to lift people out of poverty far
    away from here, standing up for human rights around the world, as the
    Prime Minister said, sometimes almost alone--standing against those who
    would practice terror against the innocent. Denmark provides more
    peacekeepers proportionally than any other nation in the entire world,
    and I hope you are all very proud of that.
        You were among the first to heed Bosnia's call. Despite the loss of
    brave Danish soldiers while the war raged, you have never wavered. For
    your unshakable commitment to peace and for all you do, I have come here
    to say on behalf of the American people, we thank you.
        Now we must draw on your example to finish the work of overcoming
    one of the greatest barriers of our time, the division of Europe. And
    this past week we have shown we can do it not by force of arms but by
    the power of peace. This week we have seen the face of the new Europe.
    In Madrid, during our NATO Summit, we saw 44 countries from all corners
    of the continent come together to forge a common future. We saw the most
    successful defensive alliance in history reach out its hand to new
    members and extend its hand to Ukraine and to Russia, now our partners
    in building a bright future.
        We saw nations large and small, new democracies and old ones, join
    to clear away the debris of old blocs of nations to build new bonds of
    partnership. In Poland, one of three nations invited to join the
    alliance, we saw the joy of a people at last secure in their freedom and
    sure of their place in Europe, people who seized their moment and
    changed the course of their history and who now sound ready to guarantee
    a future of freedom to others. Yesterday in Bucharest, Romania, a nation
    we believe that will soon be ready to join our alliance, we saw the
    faces of a people--over 100,000 of them--who freed themselves from
    yesterday's tyranny and are just as determined to seize the promise of
    tomorrow.
        I thank Denmark for rising to this moment; especially I thank you
    for reaching out to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, for helping them to

    [[Page 956]]

    fortify their economies, to strengthen their democracies, to establish
    their Baltic Battalion, and to take their place in the new Europe. By
    bridging the expanse of the Baltic Sea, you helped to close a great gap
    in history.
        Throughout the nations of our alliance, there is a Europe of
    visionary leaders with a profound sense of mission and a unity some said
    could not be sustained. NATO has succeeded beyond any expectations.
    Today, America is grateful to our 15 remarkable allies for their
    perseverance and friendship, for their leadership in turning the
    bloodiest continent of the 20th century into a continent free,
    undivided, at peace, and full of hope for the young people in this
    audience and far beyond these borders in the 21st century.
        Today I ask all of you assembled here, throughout this land, across
    Europe, and in America, let us all keep freedom's bright light and
    advance the work of the extraordinary Atlantic community. Let us bring
    down the barriers to a better future for all people on this continent.
    Let us close history's divide. Let us create a 21st century of
    opportunity, security, peace, and freedom for the children of Denmark,
    Europe, and the United States. It can be the greatest time in all human
    history. We must follow your past example into the future.
        Thank you, and God bless you.

    Note: The President spoke at 4 p.m. in the Ny Torv Square. In his
    remarks, he referred to Prime Minister Rasmussen's wife, Lone Dybkjaer;
    Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Economic Affairs Marianne Jelved
    and her husband, Jan; Jens Kramer Mikkelsen, Lord Mayor of Copenhagen;
    and Bodil Jensen, chair, Copenhagen City Council.