    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [February 24, 1999]
    [Pages 245-246]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 245]]

    Remarks at the Welcoming Ceremony for President Jerry John
    Rawlings of Ghana
    February 24, 1999

        President and Mrs. Rawlings, distinguished members of the Ghanaian delegation, my
    fellow Americans. Mr. President, Hillary and I are delighted to welcome
    you and Mrs. Rawlings to the United States. Nearly a year ago, your
    country gave us a greeting I will always remember. On that great day, it
    was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit--[laughter]--and we had a half million
    people in Independence Square in Accra. We thought we should arrange a
    similar meeting here today. [Laughter]
        Actually, for the South Grounds of the White House, we have a large
    crowd of people, young and old, from all parts of America, including a
    significant number of people whose roots are in your country. And in our
    hearts, our welcome is warm. In Independence Square, before the largest
    crowd I had ever addressed, I learned the meaning of akwaaba, your word
    for ``welcome.'' It was also written on billboards and on posters, and
    unforgettably written in the faces of all the Ghanaian people we saw.
    Mr. President, Mrs. Rawlings, it gives me great pleasure to say to you
    this morning, akwaaba. Welcome to the United States.
        Our trip to Ghana marked an important step forward for Africa and
    the United States, symbolizing a new beginning for both of us, a
    partnership built on mutual respect and mutual benefit. On our part, it
    signaled to the world our respect for Africa's achievements and
    aspirations after centuries of colonialism and decades of cold war. On
    Africa's part, it signaled your readiness to work with us to forge a
    better future of open societies and shared responsibilities.
        Mr. President, under your leadership, Ghana has continued to
    flourish. It remains a vivid example of what democracy and open markets
    can do for the African people. Over the past 5 years, your economy has
    grown steadily. You have an independent judiciary, a lively Parliament,
    a thriving civil society.
        Ghana is a partner with other African nations, seeking to preserve
    peace in the region, in Liberia and Sierra Leone, where you support the
    ECOMOG regional peacekeeping forces, and through your partnership in the
    Africa Crisis Response Initiative. You also send peacekeepers to other
    spots far from home, from Lebanon to the former Yugoslavia. And for
    that, we are grateful.
        The United States needs strong partners like Ghana. It is no secret
    that hard challenges lie ahead for Africa. Recent headlines have
    described the continuing upheaval caused by terrorism, civil war,
    military aggression, the senseless cruelty suffered by innocent people
    caught in a web of violence. Clearly, there remains much to be done. But
    equally clearly, these headlines do not tell the full story of Africa,
    of more than 700 million people who want what people the world over
    want: to work, to raise a family, to live a full life, to bring a better
    future to their children.
        A year after my trip to Africa, it is important to highlight what
    the headlines often don't: the hard work of the African people toward
    these lofty goals, the progress we are making in spite of setbacks. In
    Ghana, as in other African nations, we are deepening our link through
    growing trade and investment, air travel, and Internet access. I look
    forward to discussing this progress with the President and to talking
    about how we can build on it.

        Something else of far-reaching importance is happening in Africa,
    something unthinkable last year when I visited Accra. Three days from
    now there will be a democratic Presidential election in Africa's most
    populous country, Nigeria. For 28 of its 38 years of independence,
    Nigeria has been run by military dictators. Now it has a chance to start
    anew.

        The friendship between Ghana and the United States grows deeper
    every year. Ghana received our very first Peace Corps volunteers in
    1961, and nearly four decades later, new Peace Corps volunteers still
    make a difference there. Across a wide range of common endeavors, our
    nations cooperate and learn together. More and more Ghanaians are coming
    to America to help us build our future. More and more Americans visit
    Ghana and the rest of the continent to understand the history that binds
    us together.

    [[Page 246]]

        Mr. President, your visit underscores the debt all Americans owe to
    Ghana and to Africa for the brilliant contributions that African-
    Americans have made and continue to make to the United States.

        The writer and crusader W.E.B. Du Bois was a citizen of both Ghana
    and the United States. Near the end of his life, he wrote his great-
    grandson that his very long life had taught him two things: first, that
    progress sometimes will be painfully slow, and second, that we must
    forge ahead anyway because, and I quote, ``the difference between 100
    and 1,000 years is less than you now think.'' He concluded, ``doing what
    must be done, that is eternal.''

        Mr. President, you have done so much of what must be done. It will
    live eternally, and we will be eternally grateful for the friendship
    between our two nations. Let us extend it in the new century for the new
    millennium.

        Mr. President, Mrs. Rawlings, welcome to the United States.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:15 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White
    House, where President Rawlings was accorded a formal welcome with full
    military honors. In his remarks, he referred to Nana Konadu Agyeman-
    Rawlings, President Rawlings' wife. The President also referred to the
    Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG). The
    transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary also included
    the remarks of President Rawlings.