    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [May 14, 1998]
    [Pages 756-757]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in a Roundtable Discussion at the General Motors Opel Plant in
    Eisenach, Germany
    May 14, 1998

    [The discussion is joined in progress.]

    U.S. Investment in Germany

        Q. Mr. President, do you regard Germany as an attractive country for
    American investors, and if so, for what main products and services?
        The President. Well, the short answer to your question is yes. One
    of the reasons that I was so excited about coming here is that I felt
    that if the Chancellor and I were to come here
    together and there would be widespread news coverage of our trip, then
    back in America, and indeed, in other places, there would be people who
    say, ``Well, maybe we should look at investing there.''
        Investors are like all other people--you assume they know
    everything, but no one knows everything. No one has every possible
    option for activity in his or her head all the time. And so I think that
    one of the great challenges that Germany faces, obviously, is to bring
    the eastern Lander up to the employment levels and the income levels,
    generally, of the western part of the country. One of the great
    challenges Europe faces is to bring all the countries that were part of
    the Warsaw Pact up to the level of employment and income of the rest of
    Europe. And the only way this can be done is by people who believe in--
    your counterparts, who believe in you and your potential, investing
    their money and putting people to work.
        Because of your geographical location, I would imagine that any kind
    of manufacturing operation would be a good operation here, because there
    are good transportation networks in and out of here to the rest of
    Europe and because, frankly, the Continent is not that large. I don't
    think there is any kind of thing you can't do. I think that--Chancellor
    Kohl has already said that you would have a
    greater advantage probably in the areas where you already have a proven
    track record. But most manufacturers in America are prepared to go
    anywhere there is a work force that can be trained, where people will
    work hard and work in the kind of teamwork spirit that you have
    demonstrated here at this plant.
        So I hope that our coming here will help more of your fellow
    citizens to get good jobs. And that's one of the reasons we wanted to
    come.

    [At this point, the discussion continued.]

    Administration Accomplishments and Goals

        Q. Mr. President, which domestic or foreign policy problem would you
    wish to be solved most urgently, and which achievement would you regard
    as the highlight in your term of office?
        The President. Well, first let me say, I suppose our most important
    achievement is turning the American economy around in ways that benefit
    ordinary Americans so that we not only have high growth and low
    unemployment, but it's working in a way that most people feel more
    secure, and they have the freedom to make more good decisions for
    themselves. There are many other things that I have done, specific
    things that I am very proud of, but I think, generally, doing that has
    made a big difference.
        And in the world, I hope that putting America in the center of the
    future after the cold war will be a lasting achievement: future trading
    relationships with Europe and Latin America and Asia; our future efforts
    to combat the problems of terrorism and the weapons spread; our future
    efforts to save the environment of the world; our future efforts to work
    with countries to help

    [[Page 757]]

    solve problems, like the problems in Bosnia. And Helmut reminded me, the work we're doing now on nuclear
    weapons, because we're a little concerned that India had a test about
    that in the last couple of days. So, at home, making the economy work
    for all our people; abroad, involving the United States in the
    challenges of the 21st century and not letting America withdraw from the
    world.
        Now, what would I still like to do, what problems are we still
    trying to solve? There are many things I could mention at home, but I
    would just say two things. First of all, after World War II, in almost
    every country there was a huge increase in the birth rate. People came
    home from the war, and they wanted to have babies, and they did, in
    record numbers in the United States. When these so-called baby boomers--
    and I'm the oldest one; I was born in 1946--when all of them retire in
    all the advanced countries of the world, they will put enormous pressure
    on the retirement and health care systems. And if we don't make some
    changes in them in our country, we will put unfair burdens on our
    children and on our children's ability to raise our grandchildren. On
    the other hand, if we throw them out the door, then our people will be
    divided. We won't be preserving our obligations and our social contract.
    So I would still like to reform those things in a way that protects our
    people but allows our children to go forward and build a good life.
        The other thing I would say is that in our country, where we have so
    many people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, not everyone--
    particularly a lot of people in our inner cities--has participated in
    this economic recovery yet. We still have some neighborhoods in our
    cities where the unemployment rate is too high, the education level is
    too low, the crime rate is too high. And I would like to find a way
    before I leave office to bring the spirit of enterprise to all those
    people, the opportunities.
        Around the world, I hope before I leave office that we will have
    secured a peace agreement in the Middle East that will last for a long
    time.

    Note: The President spoke at 3:51 p.m. in an outdoor tent at the plant.
    In his remarks, he referred to Chancellor Helmut Kohl of Germany. The
    press release issued by the Office of the Press Secretary did not
    include the opening remarks of the President or the entire roundtable
    discussion.