    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 35 (Monday, September 4, 2000)]
    [Pages 1965-1967]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks at the Signing Ceremony for the Tanzania-United States Open
    Skies Agreement in Arusha, Tanzania

    August 28, 2000

        Mr. President, Secretary Slater, Minister Nyanda, members of the
    Tanzanian and American delegations, ladies and gentlemen. First, Mr.
    President, thank you for your warm welcome, and we'll save your speech.
    [Laughter] And thank you for your thoughtful and deep remarks.

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        I'd like to begin by also thanking you for the warm welcome that you
    gave to Chelsea and to Hillary when they were here. They both fell in
    love with your country, and Hillary asked me to give you her regards.
    Since you've just started a campaign, you will understand that she is
    otherwise occupied. [Laughter]
        I am honored to be here in a place of peace, to visit a champion of
    peace. Tanzania's story is too often not the stuff of headlines. For
    that I say, congratulations. Think of the headlines you have avoided.
    Because you have avoided headlines about repression, famine, and war,
    and instead focused on the steady progress of democracy and development,
    being generous to your neighbors, and being a cause of peace and
    cooperation across the region, too many people in our country do not
    know enough about your country. I hope very much that my visit here,
    with so many Members of the United States Congress who are here with me,
    will help to change that.
        I look forward, Mr. President, to joining you and President Mandela
    and the other regional leaders shortly in your efforts to bring a
    lasting peace to Burundi, just the last chapter in the distinguished
    history that you have already made in such a short time.
        One of the tragic ironies of life is, sometimes the most terrible
    things happen to those who try to do the most good. You mentioned it was
    just over 2 years ago that the terrorist bombs went off at our American
    Embassies not far north of here in Nairobi, and not far south in Dar es
    Salaam. They claimed hundreds of Tanzanian, Kenyan, and American lives.
        I believe the terrorists went after Tanzania, Kenya, and the United
    States precisely because we are dedicated to tolerance, understanding,
    and cooperation across frontiers and lines of division. They took a lot
    of our loved ones, but as you pointed out, they failed utterly to deter
    us from advancing our common principles.
        So, 2 years later I would like to say again to the Tanzanian
    families and the victims who survived, we still share your sorrow and
    your determination to see justice done. But we are grateful that your
    nation has stayed on the course of peace and reconciliation.
        We also want to continue to support you during the current drought.
    We have already provided substantial food assistance and will continue
    to do what is needed. We are also trying to help both Tanzania and Kenya
    deal with your significant refugee problems, which we had a chance to
    discuss in our meeting just a moment ago. We will keep working with you,
    Mr. President, to promote education and health, to bring the benefits of
    the global information economy to your nation and to the developing
    world.
        I am glad that we were able to support Tanzania as one of the first
    three African countries to qualify for debt relief under the heavily
    indebted poor countries initiative. So long as these economic reforms
    continue, they will be worth the freeing of $100 million a year, which
    Tanzania can now invest in its greatest resource, your people.
        And I might say, Mr. President, I was very moved by what you said in
    our meeting about how you intend to invest that money. And I hope that
    the Members of our Congress will take home the powerful example that you
    have set as a good reason for us to fully fund our part of the global
    initiative to relieve the debt of highly indebted poor countries.
        I also want to do more to encourage foreign investment here. When I
    last met with you, Mr. President, you were just finishing a very
    successful tour of the United States to promote American investment
    here. It has doubled in the last 5 years. The Open Skies agreement, just
    signed, will strengthen our economic ties further, giving both our
    countries' airlines unrestricted international access from any airport
    to any airport in either country so that more people can travel and
    market their products to more places at lower cost. It was the first of
    six such agreements we have negotiated with African nations, and I am
    honored that the first was here in Tanzania.
        We will keep working with you, Mr. President, on all these issues,
    not only because your success is important in its own right and because
    your people deserve a chance to live their dreams, but because you
    inspire all those around you who are struggling to achieve freedom and
    peace and reconciliation. I urge you to continue to inspire them.

    [[Page 1967]]

        I thank you for the power of your example. I support the work you
    do. And again let me say on behalf of all the American delegation, we
    are delighted and honored to be here.
        Thank you very much.

     Note:  The President spoke at 4:17 p.m. on a veranda at the Kilimanjaro
    Airport. In his remarks, he referred to Minister of Communications and
    Transport Ernest Nyanda and President Benjamin William Mkapa of
    Tanzania; and former President Nelson Mandela of South Africa.