    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [July 30, 1999]
    [Pages 1351-1353]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to High School Students in Sarajevo
    July 30, 1999

        I think we should give a round of applause again to Jana
    Jakic; she did a very good job, I think.
    [Applause] I would also like to thank your principal, Emina
    Avdagic. And I'd like to thank the Sarajevo
    Canton Prime Minister, Mr. Belkic. And
    especially all the students here on the platform with me, I thank them
    very much. I also would like to thank the bands that performed before
    me. I think they were of much greater interest to the students than the
    President, but I'm glad to see them here. [Laughter]
        I'm very glad to be back in Sarajevo, and especially to come to this
    school to see the rebuilding that is going on. Not long ago the Third
    Gymnasium was at the center of the cruel war. Today, as we can all see,
    the building still bears the scars of the past. But thanks to you, it
    holds the promise of Bosnia's future.

    [[Page 1352]]

        If all of you were to come and visit me in Washington, DC, at the
    White House, you would see that in the entrance to my office, the Oval
    Office, there is a picture of a woman in her very damaged apartment in
    Sarajevo. It was taken at the end of the war, and there is a quotation
    from the woman at the bottom of the picture expressing her thanks to me
    and to the United States for our help in bringing the Bosnian War to an
    end.
        Every person from all over the world who comes to see me sees that
    picture, because I am proud of the role the United States had in
    bringing this war to an end.
        But it is not enough to end a war; we must build a peace. It is not
    enough to reject a dark past; we must build a bright future. That is why
    the rebuilding of the Third Gymnasium can symbolize, not only for the
    students but for all the people of this nation, what we should be doing
    for tomorrow.
        I know that students sent letters to the Sarajevo Canton asking that
    this school be repaired. One student wrote, ``Please think of future
    generations.'' This school is a monument to Sarajevo's proud tradition
    of teaching young people from all backgrounds. Saving this school will
    save that tradition and will help all young people to have the future
    they deserve.
        I want to thank all those involved in this effort, including the
    Sarajevo Canton and the city of Stockholm, Sweden; we have a
    representative from the Swedish Embassy here today; and USAID--and
    Hattie Babbitt from USAID is here. We are
    proud that the United States could be part of a genuine international
    partnership to restore this school to its rightful position.
        You know, for so many people who have never been to this beautiful
    place, Sarajevo is a name associated only with violence. People know
    World War I started here, and they know how badly the city was shelled
    during the recent war. Often they do not know that for centuries, and
    for decades in the 20th century, a spirit of tolerance defined this
    beautiful place--a place where people lived and worked together, a place
    where Muslims, Orthodox Christians, Roman Catholics, and Jews were free
    to worship God as they chose.
        That is the Sarajevo I want the world to know about. If you can draw
    on the best parts of your heritage to build a united future here, then
    it can be done elsewhere in Bosnia and throughout this region.
        The Dayton agreement in 1995 did not rid Bosnia of all anger and
    fear or frustrating problems like high unemployment, corruption, and
    crime, but Dayton did offer all the people of Bosnia peaceful means to
    resolve their differences and move forward.
        I want the world to know what you have achieved in the last 4 years:
    fair elections, a free press, reformed courts, a new single currency,
    the beginning of economic growth, better ties with your neighbors, war
    criminals out of power, nearly twice as many minority refugees returned
    in the first half of '99 as in any previous period. And though more
    needs to be done in many areas, especially in helping the economy to
    grow and in completing minority refugee returns, this is quite a record
    of accomplishment for the last 4 years, and you should be proud of it.
        As all of you know, we had a summit here in Sarajevo today to talk
    about the future of southeastern Europe. Perhaps the most impressive
    thing to me was that the Bosnian Presidency spoke with one single,
    united voice. Two years ago, when I came here, I met with the Bosnian
    Presidency, and President Izetbegovic was
    there then. He had two different partners, a Croatian partner, a Serbian partner. And
    the wounds of war were still very fresh. So we sat around the table
    together, but they weren't really together. Today I saw three men who
    were really working together, who really believe that they could do
    things together. And I was very moved.
        We have to bring these kinds of things throughout the Balkans and
    all of southeastern Europe. Think about what it was like here just a few
    years ago and realize today that there were 60 delegations--from Europe,
    North America, Asia, and international institutions--here to talk about
    how to build a better future for all of southeastern Europe.
        We talked about how to lift the economy, how to bring the nations of
    this region together, and how to bring them closer to the rest of Europe
    and to North America. The contrast was stark. Remember, Mr.
    Milosevic tried to build a Greater Serbia
    based on dividing people and ethnic cleansing. Together we came to talk
    about building a greater Europe based on including people and healing.
        I promised that the United States would do our part. Yesterday we
    pledged $500 million for humanitarian aid to Kosovo. Today I pledged

    [[Page 1353]]

    to ask our Congress to reduce tariffs for most exports to the United
    States from Bosnia and other countries in the region. I pledged to
    provide an investment fund of $150 million to encourage Americans to
    invest here and to help others to set up small businesses.
        I pledged to work with our friends here to bring all nations who
    comply into the world trading system so that we can have more benefits
    flowing into Bosnia and the other countries in the region. We pledged to
    expand NATO's political and economic partnerships throughout
    southeastern Europe. And I asked the Europeans to join with me in
    helping you economically and politically. It is time to build the peace.
    The war is over, but we have to build a better peace for Bosnia and all
    the people of southeastern Europe.
        Let me say I hope that before long, Serbia, too, will participate in
    this economic reconstruction. But I do not believe that we should give
    reconstruction aid to Serbia as long as it rejects democracy and as long
    as Mr. Milosevic is in power. We have had
    enough of ethnic cleansing.
        But I want you to understand, I did not involve the United States in
    Bosnia or in Kosovo to hurt Serbian people. We took a stand for the
    humanity of all people and against anyone who seeks to use racial,
    religious, or ethnic differences to promote hatred and crush people's
    hopes and deny children like those on this stage with me their God-given
    right to an education and a safe future.
        I want this school--this school rebuilt--to be the symbol of all of
    our tomorrows. And I will do my best to see that the United States is
    your partner and your friend.
        Thank you, and God bless you.

    Note: The President spoke at 4:52 p.m. in the courtyard at Treca
    Gimnazija (Third High School). In his remarks, he referred to student
    Jana Jakic, who introduced the President; Sarajevo Canton Prime Minister
    Beriz Belkic; former Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency Members Kresimir
    Zubak (Croat) and Momcilo Krajisnik (Serb); current Presidency Members
    Alija Izetbegovic (Muslim), Ante Jelavic (Croat), and Zivko Radisic
    (Serb); and President Slobodan Milosevic of the Federal Republic of
    Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro).