[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.