[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 30 (Monday, August 2, 1999)]
[Pages 1522-1523]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to High School Students in Sarajevo

July 30, 1999

    I think we should give a round of applause again to Jana Jakic; she 
did a very good job, I think. [Applause] I would also like to thank your 
principal, Emina Avdagic. And I'd like to thank the Sarajevo Canton 
Prime Minister, Mr. Belkic. And especially all the students here on the 
platform with me, I thank them very much. I also would like to thank the 
bands that performed before me. I think they were of much greater 
interest to the students than the President, but I'm glad to see them 
here. [Laughter]
    I'm very glad to be back in Sarajevo, and especially to come to this 
school to see the rebuilding that is going on. Not long ago the Third 
Gymnasium was at the center of the cruel war. Today, as we can all see, 
the building still bears the scars of the past. But thanks to you, it 
holds the promise of Bosnia's future.
    If all of you were to come and visit me in Washington, DC, at the 
White House, you would see that in the entrance to my office, the Oval 
Office, there is a picture of a woman in her very damaged apartment in 
Sarajevo. It was taken at the end of the war, and there is a quotation 
from the woman at the bottom of the picture expressing her thanks to me 
and to the United States for our help in bringing the Bosnian War to an 
end.
    Every person from all over the world who comes to see me sees that 
picture, because I am proud of the role the United States had in 
bringing this war to an end.
    But it is not enough to end a war; we must build a peace. It is not 
enough to reject a dark past; we must build a bright future. That is why 
the rebuilding of the Third Gymnasium can symbolize, not only for the 
students but for all the people of this nation, what we should be doing 
for tomorrow.
    I know that students sent letters to the Sarajevo Canton asking that 
this school be repaired. One student wrote, ``Please think of future 
generations.'' This school is a monument to Sarajevo's proud tradition 
of teaching young people from all backgrounds. Saving this school will 
save that tradition and will help all young people to have the future 
they deserve.
    I want to thank all those involved in this effort, including the 
Sarajevo Canton and the city of Stockholm, Sweden--we have a 
representative from the Swedish Embassy here today--and USAID, and 
Hattie Babbitt from USAID is here. We are proud that the United States 
could be part of a genuine international partnership to restore this 
school to its rightful position.
    You know, for so many people who have never been to this beautiful 
place, Sarajevo is a name associated only with violence. People know 
World War I started here, and they know how badly the city was shelled 
during the recent war. Often they do not know that for centuries, and 
for decades in the 20th century, a spirit of tolerance defined this 
beautiful place--a place where people lived and worked together, a place 
where Muslims, Orthodox Christians, Roman Catholics, and Jews were free 
to worship God as they chose.
    That is the Sarajevo I want the world to know about. If you can draw 
on the best parts of your heritage to build a united future here, then 
it can be done elsewhere in Bosnia and throughout this region.
    The Dayton agreement in 1995 did not rid Bosnia of all anger and 
fear or frustrating problems like high unemployment, corruption and 
crime, but Dayton did offer all the people of Bosnia peaceful means to 
resolve their differences and move forward.
    I want the world to know what you have achieved in the last 4 years: 
fair elections, a free press, reformed courts, a new single currency, 
the beginning of economic growth, better ties with your neighbors, war 
criminals out of power, nearly twice as many minority refugees returned 
in the first half of '99 as in any previous period. And though more 
needs to be done in many areas, especially

[[Page 1523]]

in helping the economy to grow and in completing minority refugee 
returns, this is quite a record of accomplishment for the last 4 years, 
and you should be proud of it.
    As all of you know, we had a summit here in Sarajevo today to talk 
about the future of southeastern Europe. Perhaps the most impressive 
thing to me was that the Bosnian Presidency spoke with one single, 
united voice. Two years ago, when I came here, I met with the Bosnian 
Presidency, and President Izetbegovic was there then. He had two 
different partners, a Croatian partner, a Serbian partner. And the 
wounds of war were still very fresh. So we sat around the table 
together, but they weren't really together. Today I saw three men who 
were really working together, who really believe that they could do 
things together. And I was very moved.
    We have to bring these kinds of things throughout the Balkans and 
all of southeastern Europe. Think about what it was like here just a few 
years ago and realize today that there were 60 delegations--from Europe, 
North America, Asia, and international institutions--here to talk about 
how to build a better future for all of southeastern Europe.
    We talked about how to lift the economy, how to bring the nations of 
this region together, and how to bring them closer to the rest of Europe 
and to North America. The contrast was stark. Remember, Mr. Milosevic 
tried to build a Greater Serbia based on dividing people and ethnic 
cleansing. Together we came to talk about building a greater Europe 
based on including people and healing.
    I promised that the United States would do our part. Yesterday we 
pledged $500 million for humanitarian aid to Kosovo. Today I pledged to 
ask our Congress to reduce tariffs for most exports to the United States 
from Bosnia and other countries in the region. I pledged to provide an 
investment fund of $150 million to encourage Americans to invest here 
and to help others to set up small businesses.
    I pledged to work with our friends here to bring all nations who 
comply into the world trading system so that we can have more benefits 
flowing into Bosnia and the other countries in the region. We pledged to 
expand NATO's political and economic partnerships throughout 
southeastern Europe. And I asked the Europeans to join with me in 
helping you economically and politically. It is time to build the peace. 
The war is over, but we have to build a better peace for Bosnia and all 
the people of southeastern Europe.
    Let me say I hope that before long, Serbia, too, will participate in 
this economic reconstruction. But I do not believe that we should give 
reconstruction aid to Serbia as long as it rejects democracy and as long 
as Mr. Milosevic is in power. We have had enough of ethnic cleansing.
    But I want you to understand, I did not involve the United States in 
Bosnia or in Kosovo to hurt Serbian people. We took a stand for the 
humanity of all people and against anyone who seeks to use racial, 
religious, or ethnic differences to promote hatred and crush people's 
hopes and deny children like those on this stage with me their God-given 
right to an education and a safe future.
    I want this school--this school rebuilt--to be the symbol of all of 
our tomorrows. And I will do my best to see that the United States is 
your partner and your friend.
    Thank you, and God bless you.

Note: The President spoke at 4:52 p.m. in the courtyard at Treca 
Gimnazija (Third High School). In his remarks, he referred to student 
Jana Jakic, who introduced the President; Sarajevo Canton Prime Minister 
Beriz Belkic; former Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency Members Kresimir 
Zubak (Croat) and Momcilo Krajisnik (Serb); current Presidency Members 
Alija Izetbegovic (Muslim), Ante Jelavic (Croat), and Zivko Radisic 
(Serb); and President Slobodan Milosevic of the Federal Repubic of 
Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro).