[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 33, Number 22 (Monday, June 2, 1997)]
[Page 796]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Greeting the British Cabinet and an Exchange With Reporters in 
London, United Kingdom

May 29, 1997

    President Clinton. Thank you very much. Let me say that, first, I'm 
very appreciative of the honor of meeting with the entire Cabinet. And I 
have watched with enormous interest the energy and vigor with which you 
have all taken office and begun your work and the optimism with which 
you pursue it. I saw you on television last night being optimistic about 
peace in Ireland, which is an article of faith in my life and household, 
so I like that. And I agree that it is good for the United States to 
have a Britain that is strong in Europe and strong in its relations with 
the United States.
    These last couple of days, not only commemorating the Marshall plan 
but asking the people of Europe to think about how we should organize 
the next 50 years to try to fulfill the unfulfilled promise of the 
people who envisioned the Marshall plan and signing the agreement 
between NATO and Russia, are part of the unfolding effort to create 
within Europe a continent that is democratic, undivided, and at peace 
for the first time ever. Europe has been periodically at peace but never 
all democratic and certainly never undivided.
    And I see that as a way of organizing ourselves to meet the real 
challenges of the 21st century which will cross borders--terrorism, the 
dealing with racial and religious differences, and trying to minimize 
the extremist hatred that is gripping so much of the world and the 
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and drug trafficking and 
the common environmental threats that will become a bigger part of every 
government's agenda for the next generation.
    So this is a very exciting time. And I'm glad to be here, and I 
thank you.
    Prime Minister Blair. Thank you very much, Mr. President.
    Q. Mr. President, you took office after 12 years of Republican rule 
in Washington. What advice do you have for these Labor Party members who 
have just taken office after so many years of a different party in 
power? You had some missteps at the beginning and probably want to share 
some of that advice. [Laughter]
    President Clinton. I think they're doing very well. I'd like to have 
a 179-seat majority. [Laughter] And I'm not going to give any advice; 
I'm going to sit here and take it as long as they'll let me do it. 
[Laughter]
    Prime Minister Blair. And I would like to make sure that we have a 
second term in office--[laughter]--so I'll take his advice, too.
    Thanks very much, guys. You know there will be a press conference, 
of course, later where you'll be able to ask questions.
    Q. Mr. Prime Minister, would you care to share with us some of your 
thoughts about some of the lessons you learned in getting elected from 
President Clinton's playbook, political playbook?
    Prime Minister Blair. Well, I'm sure we'll share lots of lessons 
together. But as I say, you'll have an ample opportunity to ask us about 
them later this afternoon.
    Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at approximately 11:30 a.m. in the Cabinet 
Room at 10 Downing Street, prior to a meeting with Prime Minister Tony 
Blair of the United Kingdom.