[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
[June 22, 1999]
[Pages 991-992]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks to Kosovar Refugees at Stenkovic I Refugee Camp in Skopje
June 22, 1999

    Thank you. Thank you very much. First of all, I would like to thank 
all the people who have shared time with my family and me, all these 
children and their parents. And I would like to say a special word of 
appreciation to all the workers here who have come from all over the 
world to help you recover your lives. I thank them very much.
    The second thing I would like to say is that I have brought with me 
a number of people who helped me make sure the United States and NATO 
did the right thing by the people of Kosovo, and they are also very 
proud to be here. And I want to thank them, and I hope you will thank 
them--Mr. Berger and all the other people 
on our team--because we're proud of what we did because we think it's 
what America stands for, that no one ever--ever--should be punished and 
discriminated against or killed or uprooted because of their religion or 
their ethnic heritage. And we are honored to be here with you.

[[Page 992]]

    I just want to say a couple of more words before the rain comes 
down. The first thing is that we are committed not only to making Kosovo 
safe but to helping people rebuild their lives, rebuild their 
communities, and then to helping Kosovo and all the countries of the 
region build a brighter, more prosperous future based on respect for the 
human rights of all people.
    Now, I promised all these wonderful people from all over the world 
who are here working for you that I would also say this: I know a lot of 
people are anxious to go home. Many have already left. But you know 
there are still a lot of landmines in the ground on the routes into 
Kosovo and in many of the communities. We are bringing in the best 
people in the world to take those mines up. Every year the United States 
does more than half that work all around the world. It is hard work; it 
is dangerous work.
    You have suffered enough. I don't want any child hurt. I don't want 
anyone else to lose a leg or an arm or a child because of a landmine. So 
I ask you, please be patient with us. Give us a couple of more weeks to 
take the landmines up, if the people here ask you to do that, because 
you are going to be able to go back in safety and security. I want to 
make sure it is a happy return.
    You have given my family and me a day we will remember for the rest 
of our lives. All we want is for you to be able to live your lives. But 
I ask you to remember that the United States did not act alone. All of 
our NATO Allies felt the same way, in Canada and Europe. And the 
President of the United States never acts alone; it is the American 
people who care about you, who believe in you, who want you to be free, 
who want you to be able to go home.
    Thank you, and God bless you.

Note: The President spoke at approximately 4:20 p.m. on the grounds of 
the camp. The transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary 
also included the remarks of the First Lady.