[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 8 (Monday, March 1, 1999)]
[Pages 300-301]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a State Dinner Honoring President Rawlings of Ghana

February 24, 1999

    Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. I want to welcome President 
Rawlings and Mrs. Rawlings and the entire Ghanaian delegation, along 
with the distinguished Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi 
Annan, and our other distinguished guests to the White House. Hillary 
and I are delighted to see you all here.
    There was so much interest and enthusiasm about this dinner that we 
had to move it from the dining room into the East Room. And you might be 
interested to know that it was in this room that Thomas Jefferson met 
with Meriwether Lewis to plan the great Lewis and Clark expedition, 
which explored the American Continent. It is fitting that we are having 
this dinner here, almost 200 years later, to chart a new century and to 
explore our relationship with Ghana and with Africa.
    It was no accident that Ghana was our first stop, our gateway to 
Africa, when Hillary and I and our delegation, the Members of Congress, 
the administration, and citizens traveled to Africa last year. Mr. 
President, in the last decade, under your leadership, Ghana has made 
great strides toward fulfilling President Nkrumah's vision of a proud, 
strong country.
    In important ways, it may even have surpassed that vision. Starting 
our African journey in a democratic country with a growing economy, a 
powerful commitment to tolerance at home and peace around the world 
allowed us to highlight for all Americans the progress that Africa has 
made and the promise of our future together. It allowed us to reaffirm 
for all of Africa that the United States is proud and determined to 
build a partnership of mutual respect with African nations which share 
our dreams of a better world. It also gave us the opportunity to get to 
know Ghana.
    It has become the subject of some raw humor in the White House that 
I never tire of telling people that we had a half a million people in 
Independence Square in Ghana. About--[applause]--thank you. Every time 
the Vice President gets a good news story these days, I say, ``But have 
you ever spoken to a half a million people?'' [Laughter]
    Let me say also, Mr. President, we all know that you have so many 
friends in the United States--quite a few here tonight. I want to 
mention, though, an astonishing fact that I learned about a friend of 
Ghana, and yours, who is not here tonight--also a friend of mine, who 
performed here for the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Stevie Wonder.

[[Page 301]]

    He spends considerable time in Ghana, and actually, Mr. President, 
he has boasted in the United States that he's flown your airplane. 
[Laughter] I hope you wore a seat belt. [Laughter] With a story like 
that, he may be planning to run for office soon.
    I want you all to know I have spent an inordinate amount of time 
thinking about President Rawlings' political predicament. Listen to 
this: He was elected President by his fellow citizens in 1992. He was 
reelected in 1996. He loves his country, and he loves being President of 
his country. His Constitution prevents him from running again in 2000. 
[Laughter] Mr. President, I feel your pain. [Laughter]
    It seems to me the only response for two slightly scarred but 
energetic warriors like us is to renew our commitment and dedication in 
these remaining 2 years of our service, to make them count every day for 
all our people, so that when our citizens choose new leadership for a 
new century, we can know that we have done our best to pave their way.
    So let us tonight commit together to work on the things that matter 
to real people and to the children and their future: to strengthen our 
democracies; to broaden the reach of our economies; to make education 
and health care better and more widely available; to protect our 
environment; to work to convince others to seek peaceful solutions to 
conflicts within and among the nations we can reach. And let us commit 
to making the bonds between our two nations stronger than ever.
    Mr. President, Nana, it is a profound honor for Hillary and for me 
to have you here. And we now ask all of you to join us in a toast to the 
President and the First Lady and the people of Ghana.

Note: The President spoke at 9:03 p.m. in the East Room at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, wife 
of President Rawlings; and musician Stevie Wonder.