[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book II)]
[August 28, 2000]
[Pages 1722-1724]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at the Signing Ceremony for the Tanzania-United States Open 
Skies Agreement in Arusha, Tanzania
August 28, 2000

    Mr. President, Secretary 
Slater, Minister Nyanda, members of the Tanzanian and American delegations, 
ladies and gentlemen. First, Mr. President, thank you for your warm 
welcome, and we'll save your speech. [Laughter] And thank you for your 
thoughtful and deep remarks.

[[Page 1723]]

    I'd like to begin by also thanking you for the warm welcome that you 
gave to Chelsea and to Hillary when they were here. They both fell in love 
with your country, and Hillary asked me to give you her regards. Since 
you've just started a campaign, you will understand that she is 
otherwise occupied. [Laughter]
    I am honored to be here in a place of peace, to visit a champion of 
peace. Tanzania's story is too often not the stuff of headlines. For 
that I say, congratulations. Think of the headlines you have avoided. 
Because you have avoided headlines about repression, famine, and war, 
and instead focused on the steady progress of democracy and development, 
being generous to your neighbors, and being a cause of peace and 
cooperation across the region, too many people in our country do not 
know enough about your country. I hope very much that my visit here, 
with so many Members of the United States Congress who are here with me, 
will help to change that.
    I look forward, Mr. President, to 
joining you and President Mandela and the 
other regional leaders shortly in your efforts to bring a lasting peace 
to Burundi, just the last chapter in the distinguished history that you 
have already made in such a short time.
    One of the tragic ironies of life is, sometimes the most terrible 
things happen to those who try to do the most good. You mentioned it was 
just over 2 years ago that the terrorist bombs went off at our American 
Embassies not far north of here in Nairobi, and not far south in Dar es 
Salaam. They claimed hundreds of Tanzanian, Kenyan, and American lives.
    I believe the terrorists went after Tanzania, Kenya, and the United 
States precisely because we are dedicated to tolerance, understanding, 
and cooperation across frontiers and lines of division. They took a lot 
of our loved ones, but as you pointed out, they failed utterly to deter 
us from advancing our common principles.
    So, 2 years later I would like to say again to the Tanzanian 
families and the victims who survived, we still share your sorrow and 
your determination to see justice done. But we are grateful that your 
nation has stayed on the course of peace and reconciliation.
    We also want to continue to support you during the current drought. 
We have already provided substantial food assistance and will continue 
to do what is needed. We are also trying to help both Tanzania and Kenya 
deal with your significant refugee problems, which we had a chance to 
discuss in our meeting just a moment ago. We will keep working with you, 
Mr. President, to promote education 
and health, to bring the benefits of the global information economy to 
your nation and to the developing world.
    I am glad that we were able to support Tanzania as one of the first 
three African countries to qualify for debt relief under the heavily 
indebted poor countries initiative. So long as these economic reforms 
continue, they will be worth the freeing of $100 million a year, which 
Tanzania can now invest in its greatest resource, your people.
    And I might say, Mr. President, I 
was very moved by what you said in our meeting about how you intend to 
invest that money. And I hope that the Members of our Congress will take 
home the powerful example that you have set as a good reason for us to 
fully fund our part of the global initiative to relieve the debt of 
highly indebted poor countries.
    I also want to do more to encourage foreign investment here. When I 
last met with you, Mr. President, you 
were just finishing a very successful tour of the United States to 
promote American investment here. It has doubled in the last 5 years. 
The Open Skies agreement, just signed, will strengthen our economic ties 
further, giving both our countries' airlines unrestricted international 
access from any airport to any airport in either country so that more 
people can travel and market their products to more places at lower 
cost. It was the first of six such agreements we have negotiated with 
African nations, and I am honored that the first was here in Tanzania.
    We will keep working with you, Mr. President, on all these issues, not only because your success is 
important in its own right and because your people deserve a chance to 
live their dreams, but because you inspire all those around you who are 
struggling to achieve freedom and peace and reconciliation. I urge you 
to continue to inspire them.
    I thank you for the power of your example. I support the work you 
do. And again let me say on behalf of all the American delegation, we 
are delighted and honored to be here.
    Thank you very much.

 Note:  The President spoke at 4:17 p.m. on a veranda at the Kilimanjaro 
Airport. In his remarks, he referred to Minister of Communications and

[[Page 1724]]

Transport Ernest Nyanda and President Benjamin William Mkapa of 
Tanzania; and former President Nelson Mandela of South Africa.