[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
[November 1, 1999]
[Pages 1946-1947]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at a Luncheon Hosted by King Harald V 
of Norway in Oslo
November 1, 1999

    I must say, Your Majesty, that is a much more elegant fanfare than I 
normally get before I speak. [Laughter] Thank you for hosting me and all 
of our American company here. To both of you, we 
are honored to be in your presence. And I am deeply honored to be the 
first sitting American President to visit your wonderful country.
    The United States and Norway are allies and friends. Our friendship 
is rooted, of course, in our common shared interests and our common 
shared values; also, a remarkable textured, shared history. Vikings from 
these shores were among the first Europeans to walk the shores of North 
America. Since July 4th, 1825, when the first Norwegian ship sailed for 
the United States, millions of Norwegians seeking freedom and 
opportunity have, as His Majesty has noted, contributed immensely to our 
society.
    I think it's worth noting a few of them, for their descendants 
include many luminaries from our past and present: national leaders from 
Congressman Sabo's home State, like Walter 
Mondale and Hubert Humphrey; great jurists 
like the late Chief Justice Earl Warren; great thinkers like Thorstein 
Veblen; giants of entertainment like Jimmy Cagney; sports heroes like

[[Page 1947]]

Knute Rockne; and, of course, Secretary Albright's predecessor, Warren Christopher.
    Today, there are almost as many people, perhaps even more people of 
Norwegian descent in the United States than in Norway. So, most of all, 
I suppose I should be here, simply thanking you for the precious gift of 
your people.
    Our two nations have also shared the history of some of the darkest 
days of this century when the royal family, as the King has said, spent 
the years of the war living in the United States, including several 
weeks in the White House. I must say one of the most interesting 
experiences I have had as President in my entire tenure was having the 
opportunity to welcome you back to the White House, where you were as a 
small boy. I hope someday someone will welcome me back in that fashion--
[laughter]--but I won't have quite the memories you do.
    President Roosevelt's last formal statement, just 3 days before his 
death, was a statement in praise of the people of Norway and the people 
of Denmark for their courage during the occupation. The King said that 
he remembered standing behind President Roosevelt during his fourth 
inauguration. At the time, the war was still going on. The President was 
not feeling well, and so, at the insistence of his advisers, he agreed 
to be inaugurated actually inside the White House. It is the only time 
in the entire history of our country that a President was inaugurated in 
the White House. Lucky enough for us, it enabled a young man to stand 
behind him, and to carry a memory for more than half a century.
    In President Roosevelt's fourth inaugural address, he summed up the 
lessons learned from the war. He said this: ``We have learned that we 
cannot live alone at peace; that our own well-being is dependent on the 
well-being of other nations far away. We have learned that, to be 
citizens of the world, we have learned to be members of the human 
community. We have learned the simple truth, as Emerson said, the only 
way to have a friend is to be one.''
    Those words still ring true today, in the United States, in Norway, 
in the Middle East. Let us do all we can to remind all those in 
positions of influence, within our countries and beyond our borders, 
that we share a common destiny, and the only way to have a friend is to 
be one.
    We also share an important history in the recent past, that I would 
be remiss if I did not comment upon briefly. In this decade, America and 
Norway have stood side by side as allies and friends to fight ethnic 
cleansing in the Balkans, to prevent the spread of dangerous weapons, to 
promote human rights, and of course, to build peace in the Middle East. 
That is our focus this week. And again I thank our Norwegian hosts for 
all they have done to make the talks that we will have today and 
tomorrow possible.
    Once, Franklin Roosevelt said that any nation seeking to resist 
tyranny and build democracy need only, and I quote, ``look to Norway.'' 
It remains just as true today. Free people still look to Norway and will 
always do so.
    Your Majesty, I am grateful for all you have done to keep our 
friendship strong, to prepare our kindred nations for a new century and 
a new millennium, when we will have some more shared history based on 
our shared values.
    I ask all of you now to join me in a toast to King Harald, to the 
Queen, to the people of Norway, and to our 
wonderful alliance.

Note: The President spoke at approximately 1:30 p.m. in the Banquet Room 
at the Royal Palace. In his remarks, he referred to Queen Sonja of 
Norway. The transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary 
also included the remarks of King Harald V.