[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 22 (Monday, June 5, 2000)]
[Pages 1261-1262]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following Discussions With Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of 
Germany in Berlin, Germany

June 1, 2000

    First, let me thank Chancellor Schroeder for making me feel welcome 
again in Germany and Berlin. I am delighted to be here, and I have 
enjoyed this visit. And I'm looking forward our dinner tonight and the 
Conference on Progressive Governance, beginning tomorrow, and of course, 
my trip to Aachen in the morning.
    The Chancellor has faithfully reported on our lengthy conversation. 
We spent virtually all of our time discussing Russia, the question of 
missile defense, and the really heartrending child custody cases that he 
mentioned.
    I would like to also, though, publicly thank the Chancellor for the 
leadership of Germany in the cause of European unity and in our efforts 
to bring peace and freedom and human rights to the Balkans, something 
that is very important to the United States.
    Let me say to all of you that the relationship the United States has 
with Germany has been profoundly important for the last 50 years. But I 
think it may well be even more important for the next 50. And I intend 
to do whatever I can in the time I have left as President to make sure 
this relationship is on solid ground for the new century.
    I am particularly grateful that a number of our citizens will be 
participating in Expo 2000 here, in the American Voices program, having 
conversations with the German people directly. And I thank Commissioner 
Rollnick and the others who are responsible for that.
    Finally, just one word on a development back in the United States 
today. I was very pleased with the decision of the Eleventh Circuit 
Court of Appeals in the Elian Gonzalez case, upholding the decision of 
the Justice Department that he should be with his father. We have tried 
to honor the principles that the Chancellor and I discussed today in the 
cases involving our two countries in that

[[Page 1262]]

case. I think the Justice Department and the Attorney General did the 
right thing, and I'm very pleased that the eleventh circuit upheld their 
decision today.
    Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 8:38 p.m. at the Chancellery. In his 
remarks, he referred to Commissioner Nancy Ellison Rollnick, 
Presidential Scholars Foundation; and Cuban youth Elian Gonzalez, 
rescued off the coast of Florida on November 25, 1999, whose custody 
case was decided by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in favor of 
his father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez. The transcript released by the Office 
of the Press Secretary also included the remarks of Chancellor 
Schroeder.