    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [January 11, 1999]
    [Pages 29-30]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the Welcoming Ceremony for President Carlos Menem of Argentina
    January 11, 1999

        President Menem, members of the Argentine delegation, distinguished
    guests. It's a very special pleasure for me to welcome President Menem
    to the White House for this first state visit of the new year. The
    United States is proud of its strong relationship with Argentina, and I
    am grateful for the personal and national partnership that President
    Menem and I have developed together.
        Mr. President, over the last decade, the Americas have turned a page
    in our history. Our future has never been brighter. Last year Argentina
    and the United States helped to resolve a border dispute between Peru
    and Ecuador that had persisted for decades. This year we are a
    hemisphere at peace, essentially without international conflict, moving
    beyond historic animosities to discover new opportunities.
        In every nation but one, democracy has replaced dictatorships, open
    markets have replaced command economies, a marketplace of ideas has
    replaced the battle zone of ideologies. From Point Barrow to Patagonia,
    the peoples of the Americas are greeting a new American century with a
    conviction that this will be our best time yet.
        Mr. President, under your leadership, Argentina has been at the
    forefront of Latin America's resurgence. You have built trust with
    neighbors and strengthened relationships with nations around the world.
    By courageously examining their past, the Argentine people have set an
    example for other nations seeking to bolster human rights. Argentina's
    wise economic policies are helping the region to recover from economic

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    challenges and to restore confidence in open markets.
        We are also particularly grateful for Argentina's leadership beyond
    the Americas. Day-in and day-out, your peacekeepers promote stability in
    Haiti, Cyprus, Bosnia, the Persian Gulf, and other trouble spots, often
    working side by side with our troops. President Menem has consistently
    worked to encourage constructive dialog between nations and to oppose
    those who would intimidate their neighbors through military aggression.
        Finally, he has shown real vision and courage before one of the
    great challenges of the new century, securing his people's prosperity
    while protecting the environment for future generations.
        In 1999 our two nations will continue to work together closely,
    building a vibrant, open international economy while preserving natural
    resources, forging international peace and stability, honoring
    individual rights along with the larger community to which we all
    belong.
        Mr. President, our two nations have come far together over this past
    decade. But thanks in no small measure to your leadership, there is no
    limit to our progress in the century ahead.
        Bienvenidos. Welcome to America.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:45 a.m. in the Grand Foyer at the White
    House, where President Menem was accorded a formal welcome with full
    military honors. The transcript released by the Office of the Press
    Secretary also included the remarks of President Menem.