THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of
the Press Secretary
(Berlin, Germany)
| For
Immediate Release |
June 3,
2000 |
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AT CLOSING SESSION OF
THE
CONFERENCE ON PROGRESSIVE GOVERNANCE
Cabinet Room, The
Chancellery, Berlin
12:10 P.M. (L)
PRESIDENT CLINTON:
Thank you very much. First of all, I would like to, I think, speak for all of
us in thanking Chancellor Schroeder for this remarkable meeting and the
communique which is coming out of our meeting -- it's, I think, a fair
statement of the way we view the 21st century world and what our
responsibilities and opportunities are in it.
There is a consensus
among us that we face, in the globalized information society, great
opportunities and great challenges; that we want economic growth and social
justice; that the countries around this table, because of their size
differences, their continental differences, their developmental differences,
face particular challenges -- but that there are things we can do to help each
other and to help our own people.
We talked specifically about economic
empowerment, about education, about closing the digital divide, about the
importance of reducing income inequality as a result of the globalization. We
talked about the importance of a global initiative to reduce disease and
poverty. We talked about climate change. And we talked a good deal about the
importance of reaffirming our common humanity in the midst of the racial and
ethnic and religious tensions that still dominate too much of the world's
conflicts and are present, to some degree, in every one of our countries.
We did agree, as the Chancellor said, to set up a network of our people
to work together to identify specific challenges and come up with specific
responses to them, so that we can now move from the more theoretical level of
our discussions to concrete suggestions that will be helpful and could actually
improve the lives of the people we represent.
And, finally, let me say
we agreed that those of us who are members will emphasize a lot of these
concerns at the coming G-8 meeting in Okinawa, where we expect to see a real
emphasis on -- in particular, on three things we talked about today: on
spreading educational opportunities in the developing world; on closing the
digital divide; and on a major effort by the developed countries to increase
our response to disease, particularly to HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria.
So
this was a very good meeting. And, Chancellor, again, I thank you and I, for
one, learned a lot and I think it was very much worth the effort that you made
to put it on.
* * * * *
CHANCELLOR SCHROEDER: Now we have time
for questions, ladies and gentlemen. Please put your questions to the
individual who you would like to answer them. And then we won't necessarily
have to take everyone on every question. Who would like to speak first?
Q Chancellor, a question. Is there going to be another such meeting? If
so, when? And if the group that you now constitute going to increase in size?
Would the group hang together if one of you were to lose the elections or
another power structure came about?
CHANCELLOR SCHROEDER: The cohesion
of this group is indissoluble. In respect to the question whether there's
another meeting, Mr. Guterres has made it quite clear that the experts will be
meeting in July in Portugal, and his invitation has been accepted for that
purpose. As to the rest, rest assured that if there is another such meeting,
and I would certainly seem that that is going to be the case, there will be
prior announcements made to you.
Q Mr. President, yesterday the
Chancellor called you a true European. As a true European, can you tell us
where you think Europe should be moving? Should Europe be moving to become a
United States of Europe, should it becoming a kind of federal state? Is that
what it should be doing, or should it be a rather looser confederation of
nation states? (Laughter.)
PRESIDENT CLINTON: Well, I'm also a true
democrat, which means I believe people should make their own decisions --
(laughter) -- about their lives.
Let me say, as I said yesterday in
Aachen, I have strongly supported the cause of European union. I think that
what has been done so far is a plus. I think that more members will be added to
the union and I think that is a good thing. You already have a common currency
and a forum for resolving common concerns.
Whether the Union will grow
tighter, as well as larger, I can't say; that's a decision you have to make.
And my guess is that, now that you have a framework that's plainly working
economically and politically, that those decisions will be made over a longer
period of time; and that for the next few years you'll be at least as concerned
about how many other countries should be let in. But it's entirely a decision
for Europe to make. The United States will support you whatever you do -- as
long as we continue to share values and work together and deal with the kind of
questions we're discussing today.
Q To President Clinton, how do you
view the situation in Latin America? And I'd like to know how you can see the
principles you're advocating here coming about in Latin American countries with
the difficulties facing democracy there at the moment. Thank you.
PRESIDENT CLINTON: Well, first, I think that all the people here who
are not from Latin America should know that every country but one is a
democracy; that there has been an enormous amount of economic and political
reform in Latin America in the last decade; but that because of the rise of
narco-traffickers and terrorist activities in Colombia and in other countries,
democracy is under great strain in Latin America.
And my belief is that
we should do everything we can to support the elected governments and
democratic tendencies. We should make sure that we do whatever we can to see
that the economies work for ordinary citizens; that there is a face on Latin
America's part of the global economy; and that we try to strengthen those
governments that are under particular stress, which is why I've done what I
could to persuade our Congress to help Colombia and the other countries in the
Andean regions to deal with the combined impacts of the narco-traffickers and
the civil wars in the region.
Perhaps the Latin American Presidents
here might have a better insight. But I think the fact that we have the
Presidents of Brazil, Argentina, and Chile here I think has been a big addition
to the quality of our discussions because of the particular challenges facing
Latin America at this time.
CHANCELLOR SCHROEDER: President Cardoso is
also going to comment on this issue, and then we will have two more questions.
There's going to be a further press meeting this afternoon at half past two.
We'd like to see how many of you will come along there.
But anyway,
President Cardoso.
PRESIDENT CARDOSO: A very brief comment referring to
the question that was just formulated on Latin America. We should not forget,
nor should we neglect, the very strong movement that we had in Latin America
over the last decades in favor of democracy. We have come from a state of
affairs where authoritarian regimes were the norm to one where democracy is the
norm.
If some regimes may be under siege, in no country do we have
power ruling over the rule of law. And the Constitution, namely, of -- has been
instrumental in making sure that Latin Americans themselves will tackle the
issues of democracy and democratic development.
A meeting such as the
one we just had sort of was, and gave, one hopes, a very strong moral message
with a view to making it crystal clear that those around this table are deeply
and intimately committed to values of democracy, equality and freedom, thus
signifying that in today's world we cannot afford to lose democratic regimes.
And we will do our very utmost -- in full respect of local sovereignty -- so
that said values will be increasingly fostered.
The major strength of
this meeting is precisely the consensus that was just worded by all those who
took the floor, and that said consensus goes a lot beyond market adjustments
and neo-liberalism with a view to put -- giving pride of place not only to
democracy in abstract terms, but to specific forms of democracy. We want to
share decisions -- and this goes for in-house matters and goes for
international relations.
In the growing movement towards power-sharing,
President Clinton, just like Chancellor Schroeder, said that during the G-8
meeting they will be furthering our agenda, which is not only a very strong
moral political agenda -- meaning in defense of democratic institutions -- but
also a very concrete, hands-on one, dealing with issues of health --
environment, exclusion, commerce, the Kyoto Protocol. Not only do we pledge
this moral undertaking, but we also pledge to renew a democracy where power is
shared. And Latin America will have its place in said movements.
PRESIDENT DE LA RUA: If I may add something in respect to this very
important question about democracy in Latin America -- we are all working to
strengthen democracy. We want to increase the quality of democracy by greater
participation. And that's very important indeed for Latin America and the whole
developing world. Because this meeting bears the flagship title of "progressive
governance," we'd like to see a fairly balanced, fairer international world
order. That will do good to our part of the world and serve to strengthen our
democracies.
CHANCELLOR SCHROEDER: The next question, please?
Q
Mr. President, you said that globalization should be given a new human face.
What was striking was that the term Third Way wasn't used at this conference;
progressive governance was the motto of this conference. Is this a turning
point for future meetings of the center-left?
PRESIDENT CLINTON: I hope
not, because I believe that -- this, to me, it does reflect the Third Way. But,
you know, that term, the Third Way, is fairly closely identified with our
administration and with what Prime Minister Blair has done in Great Britain.
And I think this idea of progressive governance is perhaps less of a political
slogan and more of a description of what it is we're all trying to do.
But essentially, I think what unites us is we believe in the positive
possibilities of a globalized information economy. And we know we have to have
responsible economic policies to make the private markets work, but we don't
believe that's enough, we don't believe you can have social justice and deal
with all these other challenges we face unless you have effective, progressive
governance that makes the most of the new economy and deals with its rough
edges and difficulties as well. I think that's so -- I think, in that sense,
progressive governance describes what we're trying to do. We don't believe in
just laissez faire economics, but we don't believe that government alone can
solve these problems or ignore the importance of economic performance. So what
we want is progressive governance to deal with the opportunities and challenges
that are out there.
I think it is a fair description of what we're
about, and it is perhaps more inclusive of all the countries here represented
than the Third Way. I like the Third Way because it's sort of easy to remember.
(Laughter.) But I think that far more important than the labels are the
substance, and I think that's what has really bound us together here today, is
the substance of what we're about.
CHANCELLOR SCHROEDER: One comment if
I may. I've read reports time and again about the fact that Tony Blair isn't
with us. There's a very good reason I think, a human reason -- a baby has just
been born. And that's all, that's the whole story. We talked about this at some
length. And all these rumors about the fact that we have differences of
substance and that's the reason why he's not here -- well, I'm sorry, but you
just dreamt this up. This was just dreamt up, it's not the case.
THE
PRESIDENT: Progressive governance and the Third Way are pro-family. (Laughter
and applause.)
CHANCELLOR SCHROEDER: One last question, please.
Q Mr. Clinton, I'd like to ask you, what is your view of how the
Internet should be used as a tool for strengthening democracy and for the
education of the developing countries and strengthening democracy in countries
like China or other countries where this is a problem, instead of being used as
a tool to spread destructive information? How should you enforce that tool? And
what is the role for countries that are far ahead in this area, like Sweden and
the United States, for example?
PRESIDENT CLINTON: Well, first, I think
that we should recognize what an enormous potential the Internet has for
bridging economic, educational and social divides not only in the developing
world, but in the poorest areas of developed countries -- because it collapses
time and space and allows access to information that was previously unthinkable
for people in difficult situations.
Prime Minister Cretien talked about
how he had all the Eskimo villages in Northern Canada connected to the
Internet. That has enormous health implications, enormous educational
implications, and my guess is economic implications.
So to specifically
answer your question, I'll give you just three examples of things I think we
ought to be emphasizing. I believe we ought to try to have Internet connections
with printers in all the poorest villages where we're trying to get children
into schools and give them modern education, because -- for example, the entire
Encyclopedia Britannica is now on the Internet. And if you have a printer and a
computer in a poor village, you don't have to be able to afford textbooks
anymore, and it's a far more efficient way for government to spread universal
information. So that's one example, that's an education example.
For an
economic example, I think that all over the world we see economic empowerment
initiatives. In Latin America, for example, there has been a lot of work to get
native crafts -- and also in African villages -- out. I think there ought to be
a systematic effort to use e-commerce to market these things all over the
world, and increase the incomes of poor people in villages dramatically by the
use of e-commerce.
The third thing, a political usage. In India, where
I just visited, in several of the villages in several of the states in India,
they're now providing government services over the Internet. In some places,
they're more advanced than we are in the United States. I was in Hyderabad,
where you can get 18 government services over the Internet, including a
driver's license, so no one ever waits in line for it anymore. If anyone did
that in America, they could be elected for life. (Laughter.)
So I think
that -- but far more important is, I saw a poor woman in a village who just had
a baby go into the only public building in this village, to the village
computer, where there was someone there who helped her operate it. And she
called up the health department, and got instructions with very good software,
very good visuals, about how she should care for this baby for the first six
months. And I reviewed it -- it's just as good as anything she could get in the
wealthiest community in America from the finest obstetrician -- so that we're
going to keep more babies alive because of the Internet.
So those are
three examples of things that I think we should be focused on. And those of us
in the wealthier countries should be providing the money and the technical
support for countries to do more of this, because it will move more people more
quickly out of poverty, I think, than anything that's ever been out there, if
we do it right.
CHANCELLOR SCHROEDER: Thank you very much, ladies and
gentlemen.
END 1:45 P.M. (L) |
