    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [May 10, 2004]
    [Pages 831-833]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Ceremony Honoring the Millennium Challenge Account Nations
    May 10, 2004

        Thank you all for coming. Please be seated. Welcome. Thanks for
    coming to the White House.
        Two years ago, I announced a new and hopeful approach in America's
    aid to developing nations. Under this approach, America has pledged to
    increase development assistance by 50 percent over 3 years. To make sure
    that governments make the right choices for their people, we link new
    aid to clear standards of economic, political, and social reform. We
    invited governments in developing nations to meet those standards so
    that they may truly serve their people.
        America formed the Millennium Challenge Corporation to oversee this
    new program. Last week, the first group of

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    Millennium Challenge Account nations was selected. I congratulate
    representatives with us today from Armenia, Benin, Bolivia, Cape Verde,
    Georgia, Ghana, Honduras, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Mongolia,
    Mozambique, Nicaragua, Senegal, Sri Lanka, and Vanuatu. You have chosen
    the path of reform, and your people and your nations are better off as a
    result of the decisions your Governments have made.
        I want to thank the Secretary of State
    for leading this effort. He is the chairman of the board of the new
    Corporation. I appreciate other board members who are with us: Secretary
    John Snow, the Secretary of the Treasury;
    Ambassador Bob Zoellick, the United
    States Trade Representative; Andrew Natsios, the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International
    Development; and Paul Applegarth, who is
    the CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation.
        Mr. Chairman, thank you for taking on
    this important assignment.
        I want to welcome the ambassadors and representatives from the 16
    Millennium Challenge Account nations. We are glad you're here.
    Congratulations.
        I want to thank the Members of Congress who are here. Two members
    have come today, one from the Senate and one from the House, who have
    been very instrumental in making sure the Millennium Challenge Account
    passed through both bodies. First, Senator Dick Lugar, who is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations
    Committee. Mr. Chairman, Senator Lugar is a
    clear visionary when it comes to U.S. aid. I appreciate you being here,
    Senator. Thank you for coming--as well as Congressman Tom
    Lantos, the ranking member. I see you brought
    Annette with you. Thank you for doing so.
    We're proud you both are here. Congressman Lantos, do me a favor. When
    you see Jim Kolbe, who is not with us today, thank
    him for working so hard to make sure that the House appropriations
    process honored our request for the Millennium Challenge Account. But at
    any rate, I'm glad you're here. You guys are great leaders for--to help
    America spread our vision of freedom and peace and decency for every
    human being.
        In many nations, poverty remains chronic and desperate. Half the
    world's people still live on less than $2 a day. This divide between
    wealth and poverty, between opportunity and misery, is far more than a
    challenge to our compassion. Persistent poverty and oppression can
    spread despair across an entire nation, and they can turn nations of
    great potential into the recruiting grounds of terrorists. The powerful
    combination of trade and open markets and good government is history's
    proven method to defeat poverty on a large scale, to vastly improve
    health and education, to build a modern infrastructure while
    safeguarding the environment, and to spread the habits of liberty and
    enterprise.
        The Millennium Challenge Account encourages all nations to embrace
    political and economic reform. The United States has pledged to increase
    its core development assistance by half, adding $5 billion annually by
    2006. To be eligible for this new money, nations must root out
    corruption, respect human rights, and adhere to the rule of law. They
    must invest in their people by improving their health care systems and
    their schools. They must unleash the energy and creativity necessary for
    economic growth by opening up their markets, removing barriers to
    entrepreneurship, and reducing excessive bureaucracy and regulation.
        The 16 nations represented here today have done all this and more.
    Each has worked hard to be here today, and their efforts are already
    yielding results. For example, Madagascar is aggressively fighting
    corruption. The Ministry of Justice has suspended a dozen magistrates on
    suspicion of corrupt activity. The Government is also implementing an
    ambitious program of judicial reform. Senegal, Africa's longest standing
    democracy, has also enacted new anticorruption laws, and is implementing

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    new measures to fight money-laundering. Honduras has made the
    improvement of education and health services a top priority. Its
    immunization rate of 96 percent is among the highest of all eligible
    countries.
        The new Government of Georgia has doubled its investment in health
    care and raised teacher salaries by two-thirds. Mozambique has curbed
    Government spending and lowered tariffs. These and other reforms have
    resulted in double-digit growth rates over the last decade. Since
    launching its program of economic reform in 2002, Sri Lanka has reduced
    its budget deficit by a third and cut inflation by half. Other nations
    represented here can point with pride to similar examples of progress.
        Yet funding is not guaranteed for any selected country. To be
    awarded a grant, nations must develop proposals explaining how they will
    further address the needs of their people and increase economic growth,
    proposals that set clear goals and measurable benchmarks.
        The countries selected today represent a small fraction of those
    struggling to emerge from poverty and establish reform. I urge all
    nations of the world to follow the progressive standards of governing
    justly, investing in people, and encouraging economic freedom.
        Reform can bring more aid from America, and it will also bring more
    investment and more trade, lessening the need for aid over time. Reform
    will be repaid many times over in the relief of poverty and rising
    national wealth and stability for their countries.
        The 16 chosen in this round are showing the way, are showing what is
    possible, are serving as a bright light in the developing world. You
    have taken the first courageous steps toward greater independence and
    greater wealth and greater hopes for the people you serve.
        I want to thank you all for being here. I congratulate you on your
    work. And may God bless your countries and the people in the countries.
    Thank you for coming.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:35 a.m. in the East Room at the White
    House.