    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 25 (Monday, June 26, 2000)]
    [Pages 1417-1418]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks at a State Dinner Honoring King Mohamed VI of Morocco

    June 20, 2000

        Ladies and gentlemen, Your Majesty, members of the Moroccan
    delegation, welcome all of you to the White House this evening. No
    foreign guest is more deserving of a warm welcome here than King
    Mohamed.
        Your Majesty, as I said this morning, it is well known that when the
    13 separate States of America declared themselves the United States,
    your ancestor, Sultan Sidi Mohamed, was the very first sovereign to
    recognize our new Nation.
        The greatest heroes of our early history were the strongest
    proponents of friendship with Morocco. The treaty of friendship between
    our Nations was urged on Congress by Benjamin Franklin, drafted by
    Thomas Jefferson, signed by John Adams, and affirmed by George
    Washington in a letter to the Sultan. Our treaty of friendship is the
    oldest American treaty of its kind still enforced today.

    [[Page 1418]]

        In the two centuries since it was first signed, we have seen much to
    admire and be grateful for in our friendship. As the Arab nation which
    lies closest to the West, you have been a bridge across cultures. You
    have a proud tradition of independence, known the world over for your
    generosity and hospitality. The oldest property owned by America on
    foreign soil is one of the most beautiful buildings in Tangier, a gift
    to our country from yours.
        Your Majesty, Hillary and Chelsea have visited your country three
    times now. They have been charmed again and again by the special
    character of Morocco, the warmth and hospitality of your people, the
    beauty of the mountains and the Madinahs, and especially, your
    generosity of spirit.
        For centuries, your land has been a model of religious tolerance.
    When she was there, Hillary asked people throughout your country,
    ``Where did you learn this tolerance?'' And over and over again they
    said, ``We learned it from our parents.'' In Morocco, Your Majesty, that
    appears to be especially true of kings.
        During World War II, your wise and courageous grandfather blocked
    efforts of the Vichy government to identify and label Moroccan Jews.
    Decades later, your father bravely opened a dialog with Israel, paved
    the way for the Camp David accords, and proved it is possible to be
    commander of the faithful and a bridge between faiths.
        I was honored and humbled to represent the United States in Rabat
    last year to show our respect and affection for your father. I will
    never forget setting forth on foot from the Royal Palace to the
    mausoleum and seeing hundreds of thousands, indeed, millions, of
    mourners on rooftops and treetops and along the side streets, surging
    toward the cortege, expressing their deep devotion to him.
        I am pleased to tell you tonight that we are establishing, in honor
    of your father, the King Hassan II Memorial Scholarship Program to
    enable students from Morocco to study here in America, and to study
    subjects close to the King's heart: international affairs and conflict
    resolution.
        The people of Morocco also have immense devotion to you, Your
    Majesty. You have emphasized the need to improve schools for children
    and create jobs for their parents. You have moved to heal old wounds,
    promote political freedoms, protect human rights, and reach out to your
    people.
        You have shown the courage and vision to elevate Morocco as a model
    of openness, prosperity, and inclusion. This is vital, not only for
    Morocco but also for people far beyond your borders. Friends of peace
    and tolerance are needed now, perhaps more than ever, as we approach the
    moment of truth in the Middle East peace process.
        Your Majesty, America is eager to continue and to deepen our two-
    century-old friendship. We are eager to work with you toward a world of
    greater hope and understanding across cultures and continents. In that
    spirit, we welcome you again to the land shown such favor by your
    forefathers.
        Welcome to America. Thank you for your friendship, and may it last
    forever.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:24 p.m. in a pavilion on the South Lawn
    at the White House. The transcript released by the Office of the Press
    Secretary also included the remarks of King Mohamed VI.