    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [April 16, 1998]
    [Pages 570-572]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 570]]

    Remarks at the Joint Declaration Signing Ceremony With President Eduardo
    Frei of Chile in Santiago
    April 16, 1998

        President Frei. Good afternoon. I would first like to emphasize that
    it has been a great pleasure to welcome President Clinton to our
    country, together with Mrs. Clinton and the distinguished delegation
    accompanying them.
        In February '97, I had the honor of paying an extremely satisfying
    and productive state visit to the United States. I was given a
    particularly warm welcome in that country, demonstrating the
    appreciation and respect felt there for Chile. Today I'm gratified to be
    able to return that invitation and to receive you in La Moneda, the
    place, the house that belongs to all Chileans.
        This exchange of visits reflects the new level of maturity that
    relations between our two countries have achieved. We share a common
    democratic vocation. Both the Chilean and U.S. economies are enjoying
    strong growth rates and are successfully confronting the challenges of
    globalization. Both countries are undertaking important reforms aimed at
    achieving greater social equity and equality of opportunity for our
    people. We belong to the same continent, and we are engaged in working
    together towards the establishment of a new hemispheric community.
        I would like to recall here that it fell to our two countries to
    lead the preparatory efforts for the second Summit of the Americas,
    which will be inaugurated this Saturday in Santiago. We have achieved
    optimal coordination, facilitated by the support that we have obtained
    from many of our sister countries in the hemisphere.
        This morning our Ministers signed an agreement between our two
    international cooperation agencies to support the fulfillment of some of
    the initiatives established in the summit plan of action.
        I have to say that this morning we have had a long and productive
    meeting with President Clinton. It was a very frank, open, and candid
    meeting. We reviewed all the issues involved in bilateral relations.
    Each item of our bilateral relations, we discussed. And also, it is with
    great pleasure that I say that we found several common issues for the
    whole hemisphere, a commonality of ideas that allow us to work ever
    stronger together.
        As well, we have signed a joint declaration. And this joint
    declaration summarizes everything we have discussed and all the issues
    in common. At the same time, in parallel, the Ministers held a meeting
    in which they signed seven agreements: one on education, on trade,
    investments, environment--protection of the environment, protection
    against disasters, information promotion--seven documents which embody
    our bilateral relations. And these documents involve very concrete, very
    specific subjects which affect and impact our common ordinary citizen in
    everyday life.
        It has not been a meeting dealing with abstract issues, not at all.
    These issues are targeting an improvement of the quality of their lives,
    a struggle against drug traffic, and a series of promotion of
    information and exchange.
        The visit of President Clinton is just beginning. In a short while,
    we will be visiting a district, at Comuna, where we will talk and have
    dialog with the citizens. Later on, there will be an evening with
    businessmen. Then, tonight, a state dinner, and tomorrow, President
    Clinton will visit Congress. After that, also, we will meet in Vina del
    Mar. And this visit is absolute proof of the consolidation of our
    relations, this that will be projected into the future that will make
    fluent our dialog and our interchanges.
        Finally, I would like to say that Chile and the United States both,
    we are preparing together the road to the 21st century, a century in
    which we will be faced with enormous challenges; we will be faced with
    the globalization of markets, and thus we will be working for peace, for
    democracy, and for the dignity of man.
        It is these values and these realities that bring us together. And
    it is that which will make the relations between both of us one of the
    present, but not so much of this present day, but rather a relation
    working for the future. And it is in this environment that we will open
    the second Summit of the Americas. It will be how the whole continent,
    how America will be facing next century.
        Welcome once again, President Clinton, to this country, to this
    house, the home of the

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    President. Your historic visit is a point of tremendous inflection in
    our relations from here into the future.
        Thank you.
        President Clinton. Mr. President, members of the Chilean Government,
    members of our American delegation, ladies and gentlemen. Just over a
    year ago, it was my great honor to host President Frei at the White
    House. Now I come to Chile to build on our friendship, to deepen our
    progress in creating a better future for all our people.
        As the tides of change have swept over our hemisphere over the past
    15 years, Chile has set an impressive standard in strengthening its
    democracy, opening its economy, lifting its people from poverty. As
    Chile's stability and prosperity have grown, it has become a leader in
    our hemisphere and an even stronger partner and friend for the United
    States.
        Today we resolved to strengthen the ties that bind us together and
    to harness the powerful forces of change to benefit all our citizens in
    the new century. We have created a new, broader Joint Trade and
    Investment Commission to keep our economic relations on a mutually
    beneficial path, by boosting prosperity and jobs in both our countries,
    addressing new areas such as electronic commerce, and resolving disputes
    when they arise. We look forward to concluding, as soon as possible, a
    new open skies agreement to help our trade literally take off, with
    better services, more flights, lower prices for passengers and shippers
    alike.
        We addressed the crucial importance of strong financial safeguards
    and openness, a shield against the shock of market volatility. Our
    banking officials will be strengthening their cooperation and regulating
    banks that do business across our borders, which will improve financial
    security and increase the confidence of investors.
        We resolved to work harder to extend the practical benefits of open
    markets and free trade to all of our people. In that regard, nothing is
    more important than education. I want to applaud you, Mr. President, for
    your commitment to education, both here at home and across the Americas.
    Building on the Fulbright agreement we signed last year, the United
    States and Chile will deepen our cooperation in education, increasing
    exchanges of students and teachers, developing high standards for
    learning and teacher training, bringing technology to every classroom,
    so that every child, no matter where he or she may live, can explore the
    world of information now available with the stroke of a computer
    keyboard.
        And we have resolved to work together, through the Summit of the
    Americas, to help other nations advance their own reforms. This is truly
    a laudable agenda for which you, Mr. President, will long be remembered.
        We have also signed a GLOBE agreement to help our children learn
    more about our environment. Through this program, Chilean students will
    be linked through the Internet to tens of thousands of other young
    people in 65 nations. Together, they will share information about
    science and ecology and learn how to help build a healthier planet.
        We have also agreed to work together to create a pan-American
    climate forecasting system. We know from the last year that is more
    important than ever. By using the latest technology and skills, we can
    better predict and better prepare for disruptive weather systems like El
    Nino. We also agreed to work together to meet the challenge of climate
    change and global warming caused by growing emissions of greenhouse
    gases.
        I applaud President Frei for affirming today that all countries have
    an important role to play. Developed countries must lead the way in
    reducing our emissions. Developing countries should participate
    meaningfully, also taking on emissions targets whenever possible.
    Together, we can chart an energy course for the future that allows both
    strong economic growth and strong environmental safeguards to go forward
    hand in hand.
        I know this is a matter of some controversy throughout Latin
    America, and, indeed, throughout many developing nations. But I can tell
    you from America's own experience, for 30 years, every time we have
    sought to improve our environment someone has said, ``Oh, this is going
    to slow the growth of the economy.'' And every time we have improved our
    environment, it has speeded up the growth of the American economy by
    creating new jobs in new areas, so that we see clearly that the steps we
    take to preserve and, indeed, to enhance our environment will, in fact,
    lead to broader, stronger, deeper economic growth. That is the path I
    hope and pray the United States and Chile will chart together into the
    future.

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        Mr. President, our increasing cooperation in all these areas and all
    the things that you mentioned is a real testament to the astonishing
    record established by Chile in the last few years in economic and in
    political terms. The leadership you are showing now in the hemisphere
    for peace and prosperity and freedom is a natural outgrowth of the
    leadership you have demonstrated and that the Chilean people have
    demonstrated within your own borders. It is altogether fitting that the
    spirit of hemispheric cooperation and the future orientation of our
    cooperation, which was established 4 years ago at Miami, should be
    carried on under your leadership here at Santiago.
        It is clear to anyone who imagines the way the future should be that
    our burdens will be lighter and our strides will be longer if we move
    forward together. That is the promise of our growing partnership. And
    you have the thanks, the respect, and the admiration of the American
    people for your role in it.
        Thank you, sir.

    Note: President Frei spoke at 12:29 p.m. in La Moneda Palace. He spoke
    in Spanish, and his remarks were translated by an interpreter. In his
    remarks, President Clinton referred to the Global Learning and
    Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program. A portion of
    these remarks could not be verified because the tape was incomplete.