[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 31, Number 12 (Monday, March 27, 1995)]
[Pages 467-468]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 6779--Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration 
of Greek and American Democracy, 1995

March 23, 1995

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    Two thousand five hundred years ago in Athens, across the Peninsula 
of Attica and throughout Greece, the idea of democracy was embodied in a 
series of rights and laws. The resulting freedom for the citizens of 
that land sparked a period of unprecedented activity in philosophy and 
the arts. The birth of democracy in Greece signaled the beginning of a 
lasting cultural transformation clearly reflected in the course of 
Western civilization.
    The United States is proud to acknowledge the debt it owes to the 
ancient Greeks, whose philosophy and political system guided America's 
founders in forming a representative democracy on this continent. Yet 
the common bond that unites our modern nations goes beyond our 
commitment to the principles of democracy; beyond, too, the close 
friendship that we share. Through the years, our citizens have 
demonstrated a willingness to fight for the right to self-deter- 

[[Page 468]]

mination and for the cause of human dignity. The Greek struggle for 
independence 174 years ago won the hearts of Americans and all those who 
love freedom. As we mark the anniversary of that momentous occasion, 
Americans and Greeks join again in celebration.
    Our countries now stand at the dawn of a new era--a time of growing 
hope and expanding opportunity. Nations across Central Europe are 
striving to turn from ancient rivalries and to embrace the possibility 
of democratic, market-oriented change. The Greek dedication to 
independence can provide both an important example and a helping hand 
for its neighbors, and Greece's recent efforts to strengthen these ties 
can serve to foster stability and prosperity throughout the region. 
Today, as ever, the United States supports Greece in its call for 
fellowship and peace. We stand together in affirming that the blessings 
of democracy will long survive and flourish.
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the 
Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 25, 
1995, as ``Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of 
Greek and American Democracy.'' I call upon all Americans to observe 
this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-third 
day of March, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-five, 
and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred 
and nineteenth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 5:05 p.m., March 23, 
1995]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on March 
27.