    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
    [February 23, 2000]
    [Pages 295-296]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the State Dinner Honoring King Juan Carlos I of Spain
    February 23, 2000

        Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome His Majesty King Juan Carlos and
    Majesty Queen Sofia; members of the Spanish
    delegation; to all the rest of you. It is a great honor in this house of
    the American people to welcome a King and Queen who are truly of their
    people.
        Your Majesties, on behalf of all Americans,
    let me begin by expressing my condolences to the families of the two victims of yesterday's
    car bombing in northern Spain. We stand with Spain in condemning this
    cowardly act and call on those responsible to renounce the violence and
    terrorism which have taken too many innocent lives in recent years. In a
    democracy, we must settle our differences through dialog, not
    destruction.
        One of the greatest pleasures of the last 7 years has been the
    opportunity that Hillary and I have had on many occasions to be with
    King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia. Five years ago,
    I welcomed them to the White House on the occasion of their son's graduation from my alma mater, the Georgetown
    University School of Foreign Service. On that day, the King and Queen
    also received honorary doctorates.
        The King joked that day that the reason the university had given him
    the degree was that if his son started
    bragging about his masters, he could always say, ``Yes, but I am a
    doctor.'' [Laughter]
        Two years later, the King and Queen hosted
    Hillary, Chelsea, and me just a few weeks after Chelsea graduated from
    high school. For me, it was the fulfillment of a long dream. When I was
    a young graduate student, more than 30 years ago, I first went to Spain
    in the spring of 1969. I went to Granada to visit the Alhambra. I never
    got over it, and I promised myself that one day, somehow, I would
    return. Well, thanks to the King and Queen, I was once again able to see
    the Sun set over the plains of Granada, in a style slightly better than
    that which I enjoyed as a graduate student. [Laughter]
        It is a special honor for us to have the King and the Queen here today on the anniversary of the day in which the
    courage of the King literally saved democracy for Spain.
        Our friendship is just the latest chapter in a long history of
    friendship between our two nations. Five centuries ago, the vision of
    Queen Isabella guided sailors across vast oceans to discover a new
    world. The Spanish of that day left their language, their religion, and
    much of their culture on these shores. The State in which I was born
    once was part of the Spanish Empire. And I suppose, Your
    Majesties, I am, in a sense, one of your
    subjects. [Laughter]
        Today, five centuries later, Christopher Columbus is the only
    foreign citizen America honors with a national holiday. For some time
    now, Spanish has been our second most spoken language, and all across
    America, Spanish-speaking men and women, many of whom are here tonight,
    enrich our Nation and our lives. Today, five centuries after Spain
    helped to lead the world through the age of exploration, it is the
    vision of a direct descendant of Queen Isabella, His Majesty King Juan
    Carlos, who is helping to lead this new world through a new age of
    information.

    [[Page 296]]

        Spain is spreading the values of democracy, respect for human
    rights, and free markets across the globe, from Latin America to the
    Balkans, Europe to the Middle East. Your Majesties, we are proud in America to be your partners, your
    allies, and your friends.
        Saint Isidore once wrote, ``Spain is the most beautiful of all the
    lands extending from the West to India, for through her, East and West
    receive light.'' Today, may the light of our friendship continue to
    inspire and enlighten nations from East to West as we work to build a
    world that is more democratic, more open, more free, and at peace.
        I ask you all to join me in a toast to the King and Queen of Spain and the people of their wonderful country.

    Note: The President spoke at 8:45 p.m. in the State Dining Room at the
    White House. In his remarks, he referred to Queen Sofia, wife of King
    Juan Carlos I, and their son, Crown Prince Felipe; and Spanish
    politician Fernando Buesa and his bodyguard Jorge Diez, who were killed
    in a car bomb explosion on February 23. The transcript released by the
    Office of the Press Secretary also included the remarks of the King.