[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 25 (Monday, June 28, 1999)]
[Pages 1165-1166]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to the People of Ljubljana

June 21, 1999

    Thank you, Thank you. Dober dan! You have certainly provided for me 
a welcome to Slovenia I will never forget.
    Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, Mayor Potocnik; to the young lady 
who introduced me, Irena Majcen; and to your famous Olympian Leon 
Stukelj; and to all the people of Slovenia, thank you very much.
    I would also like to thank the Big Band of RTV for playing my 
national anthem and yours. Let's give the band a hand, there. [Applause]
    I have wanted to visit your country for a long time. The whole world 
admires Slovenia's success in building freedom and prosperity, and now 
we look to you to play a crucial role as we build a better future for 
all of Europe. Your great Olympic champion Leon Stukelj has now lived 
100 years. He has lived throughout this century--the bloodiest and most 
turbulent in history, from the collapse of Austria-Hungary to the first 
Yugoslav State, from fascist invaders to Soviet forces to Tito's 
Yugoslavia. Think how many armies have marched through this square, how 
many flags have been raised over your city.
    Now, at last, the flag flying in this capital stands for 
independence and democracy and the better life you are building. 
Congratulations, and God bless you.
    All over the world, people seek the same kind of freedom and justice 
and peace that you have brought here--from Northern Ireland to the 
Middle East, to southern Africa,

[[Page 1166]]

and in central and southeastern Europe. But we know these gains are 
fragile, for freedom's enemies hope for our failure. Therefore, we must 
keep moving forward, to deepen democracy and widen opportunity, to build 
genuine communities and lasting peace.
    To succeed, we must begin with a simple truth: Racial and religious 
hatred has no place in a civilized society. That is why free nations 
stood against Mr. Milosevic's ethnic cleansing and killing in Kosovo. 
Now the Serb forces have left, the international security forces are 
moving in, and the Kosovars are going home. This is a great day for 
freedom.
    I thank Slovenia for standing with NATO and for providing vital aid 
to the refugees. For all you have done, I am very, very grateful. Thank 
you.
    Eight years ago Mr. Milosevic triggered a military assault on your 
nation. But you resisted. You secured your freedom, and you proclaimed: 
It will never be the same again. Now, all the people--all the people of 
every part of Europe must be able to say the same thing. Democracy, 
tolerance, and human rights must prevail everywhere. For no nation is 
safe, no prosperity is stable, if conflict and refugees and crime and 
terrorism can be pushed across borders.
    We must build a Europe with no frontline states, a Europe undivided, 
democratic, and at peace for the first time in history. And Slovenia can 
lead the way. And America will help.
    Today America and Slovenia have reached agreements to encourage more 
American companies to do business here, to expand trade and to do other 
things which will help your economy. And let me say to people all over 
the world who will see this on television, do not be deterred by the 
rain. [Laughter] This a wonderful country. Come here and help them build 
a future.
    We also want to build Slovenia's security. You have stood with us in 
Kosovo. You have made progress in creating a modern military. You have 
established a demining trust to remove landmines and aid their victims. 
You have been a good partner, and you are an excellent candidate for 
NATO.
    Let me also say that we want Serbia to be a part of the new Europe, 
but Serbia must reject the murderous rule of Mr. Milosevic and choose 
the path that Slovenia has chosen, where people reach across the old 
divides and find strength in their differences and their common 
humanity.
    A decade ago, just as Mr. Milosevic was launching his campaign of 
ethnic terror, Slovenia chose a new national anthem, with a verse from 
your great poet and patriot France Preseren.
    Your anthem--your anthem tells what Europe's future should be. The 
anthem praises those who work for the day when all will be free; when 
nations live as neighbors, not enemies; when war is banished from the 
world. Your vision is our vision.
    Let us pursue it together, for all of Europe, so that for all your 
peoples, it will never be the same again.
    Thank you, and God bless you.
    On behalf of our delegation, my wife, my daughter, all of us, thank 
you for making us feel welcome. We never will forget this. I hope you 
won't either.
    God bless you, and thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 6:22 p.m. in Congress Square. In his 
remarks, he referred to President Milan Kucan and Prime Minister Janez 
Drnovsek of Slovenia; Mayor Viktorija Potocnik of Ljubljana; and 
President Slobodan Milosevic of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 
(Serbia and Montenegro). The President also referred to RTV, Radio and 
Television of Slovenia.