[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 22 (Monday, June 5, 2000)]
[Pages 1267-1268]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to the Sponsors of the International Charlemagne Prize in 
Aachen

June 2, 2000

    Thank you very much. Mr. Mayor, Mr. President, the rector of the 
university, and the Charlemagne Prize Foundation members. I have given 
my speech today, so I would just like to make a couple of comments. 
First, let me say that I have wanted to come to this great city since I 
was a young man, over 35 years ago, when I first began to study the 
history of Europe. And so today was, for me, a personal dream come true. 
And I only regret that I didn't get to spend more time in the cathedral. 
[Laughter] But the mayor says I can come back. [Laughter]
    Let me also say how very impressed I am by the modern things about 
this city, as well, beginning with the mayor and the enlightened speech 
that he gave and the energy and friendliness of the people. I have 
enjoyed it very much.
    I would like to say just a word about the Charlemagne Prize, itself. 
Fifty years ago, when this prize was created, the city fathers were true 
visionaries. They refused to give into the despair that enveloped so 
much of Europe. Today, after I gave my speech, so many people came up to 
me and said, ``You're so optimistic.'' And I thought I was being 
faithful to the founders of the prize. And I find it foolish to have any 
other attitude toward life.
    If you look back over the last 50 years, I think it is remarkable 
how far we have come. And yes, there are great challenges, but there's 
no reason to believe that good people can't do what needs to be done.
    Let me say with regard to the prize, since it is really about 
European unity and, for me, transatlantic unity, I thought that the best 
thing I could do would be to donate the prize money to a student 
exchange program that would promote unity in a more immediate sense 
among people still young enough to make the most of it. And so the 
exchange

[[Page 1268]]

program that I am going to give the prize money to joins Aachen and its 
sister city, Arlington, Virginia, which is just across the river from 
the White House. And there they are. I see them.
    So I hope that some good will come of it and that young people from 
this community and Arlington will gain a deeper insight into our 
respective nations and a greater understanding of the future that they 
will have to build.
    This has been a wonderful day for me. Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 2:10 p.m. in the Council Chamber at City 
Hall. In his remarks, he referred to Lord Mayor Jurgen Linden of Aachen; 
President Johannes Rau of Germany; and Rector Burkhard Rauhut, Aachen 
Technical University.