[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
[May 30, 2000]
[Pages 1050-1051]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at a State Dinner Hosted by President Jorge Sampaio of Portugal in Lisbon
May 30, 2000

    Mr. President, Mrs. Sampaio, Mr. Prime 
Minister, members of the Government, 
members of the diplomatic corps. I would like to thank you, Mr. 
President, the Government, and the people of Portugal, for the welcome 
that I and my party have received. I'd like to thank you for the meeting 
we had today. It has been a pleasure for me to spend time with another 
President who likes to read detective novels, listen to good music, and 
play golf. We could have had a 2-day summit on those three topics alone. 
[Laughter] My staff suggested it so that they could go to the beaches.
    Let me say that five centuries ago the vision and courage of 
Portugal helped Europe to find its way across the Atlantic. You were the 
first to set foot in South America, to sail down West Africa, to cross 
the Equator, to round the Cape of Good Hope, to reach India by sea from 
the west, to trade with China and Japan. It is little wonder then that 
Portuguese is now spoken by more than 200 million people in countries 
throughout the world. One of these nations, of course, is the United 
States.
    Two centuries ago Portugal was the very first neutral state to 
recognize our independence. And as you noted yourself, Mr. President, 
the United States has been strengthened by the contributions of 
Portuguese-Americans, from John Philip Sousa, who wrote the music we use 
to celebrate the Fourth of July, to John Dos Passos, whose voice helped 
to define America in the 20th century. Today, we are proud to stand with 
you as partners, allies, and friends.
    Twenty-six years ago Portugal turned from dictatorship to democracy. 
Ten years ago Eastern Europe followed your lead. Today, Eastern Europe 
is still learning from your example. When finally we build a Europe that 
is undivided, democratic, and at peace for the first time in history, 
there will be a great debt owed by all freedom-loving people to 
Portugal.
    Today, this nation that once brought the four corners of the world 
together is working with its EU allies and America to bring the world 
together to advance democracy and human rights. Portugal has taken a 
leading role in NATO and the EU. In Kosovo, nearly half the sorties that 
led us to victory flew out of Lajes Air Base in the Azores. In East 
Timor, Portugal's leadership rallied the international community. In 
Mozambique, our two nations are working together to lead the relief 
effort. From the Balkans to East Timor to Africa, our troops serve side 
by side to keep the peace and build a better future.

[[Page 1051]]

    Here in Portugal, Prime Minister Guterres has charted new ways to solve old challenges and to 
make the global economy work for all your people. I admire that as well.
    Two years ago a Portuguese author was awarded the Nobel Prize for 
Literature. A short time later, we in the United States had the honor of 
hosting Jose Saramago as he received an honorary degree from the 
University of Massachusetts. Looking out at generations of Portuguese 
who had traveled to America to enrich our culture and our country, he 
said that they are a part of an unremitting human chain that has always 
been and will continue to be an example of living history. That living 
history links not only past and present but the people of our two 
countries, from Lisbon and Porto to New Bedford, Fall River, Providence, 
Newark, all the places Portuguese-Americans have made their own.
    Today, we look ahead to a new century. We celebrate our friendship 
and embrace common challenges. We hope that the values we share will 
spread across the Earth and bear fruit in more places for more people 
than ever before. We hope that we will always stand together as friends 
in the defense of those values and in their advance.
    I ask now that all of you join me in a toast to the President of 
Portugal and Mrs. Sampaio, to the people of 
this great nation, and to our long friendship.

Note: The President spoke at 9:14 p.m. in the State Banquet Room at the 
Ajuda Palace. In his remarks, he referred to President Sampaio's wife, 
Maria Jose Ritta; and Prime Minister Antonio Guterres of Portugal.