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Monday, June 5, 2000
Volume 36--Number 22
Pages 1241-1269
Week Ending Friday, June 2, 2000
Statement on the Secretary of the Interior's Recommendation for the
Creation of New National Monuments
May 31, 2000
I am pleased to receive Secretary Babbitt's recommendations today
for the creation of new national monuments to protect unique Federal
lands in Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington.
As trustee of much of our Nation's natural endowment, the Federal
Government must do its utmost to ensure lasting protection of our most
precious lands. That is why I asked the Secretary to identify Federal
lands most in need of additional protection and why I have exercised my
authority under the Antiquities Act to grant such protection to some of
our most cherished landscapes--from California's ancient sequoias to the
North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Each of the areas recommended today represents an exceptional,
irreplaceable piece of America's natural and cultural heritage. I will
carefully consider the recommendations and hope to reach a decision on
them in the near future.
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[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents]
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Monday, June 5, 2000
Volume 36--Number 22
Pages 1241-1269
Week Ending Friday, June 2, 2000
United States-European Union Summit Statement on a New World Trade
Organization Round
May 31, 2000
Since the last U.S.-EU Summit in December, we have worked together
in Geneva to rebuild confidence in the WTO and the multilateral system,
with particular reference to developing countries. With our trade
partners, we have agreed to a short-term package on market access for
the least developed countries, an implementation work program, and on
the high priority to be accorded to effective delivery of technical
assistance.
The U.S. and EU reaffirm their conviction that the early launch of
an inclusive new Round of WTO trade negotiations would
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offer a major boost to global economic growth, employment and
sustainable development, but must address in a balanced way the concerns
of all WTO members.
The U.S. and EU pledge to build on the constructive work of the last
six months to try to launch such a new Round during the course of the
year. We have reiterated our common view that the WTO agenda should
include the social issues of labor and environment, not as a matter of
protectionism, but as a matter of social justice and sustainability.
Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of
this joint statement.
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Monday, June 5, 2000
Volume 36--Number 22
Pages 1241-1269
Week Ending Friday, June 2, 2000
Memorandum on Assistance for Peacekeeping in Sierra Leone
May 31, 2000
Presidential Determination No. 2000-20
Memorandum for the Secretary of State
Subject: Presidential Determination on Assistance for Peacekeeping in
Sierra Leone
Pursuant to the authority vested in me as President, including under
section 10(d)(1) of the United Nations Participation Act of 1945, as
amended (22 U.S.C. 287 et seq.) (the ``Act''), I hereby determine that
the furnishing, without regard to section 10(a) of the Act, of
assistance covered by section 10 of the Act that is provided in support
of peacekeeping efforts in Sierra Leone is important to the security
interests of the United States.
You are authorized and directed to report this determination to the
Congress and to publish it in the Federal Register.
William J. Clinton
Note: This memorandum was released by the Office of the Press Secretary
on June 1.
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Monday, June 5, 2000
Volume 36--Number 22
Pages 1241-1269
Week Ending Friday, June 2, 2000
Remarks to the American Embassy Community in Lisbon
June 1, 2000
Thank you very much. First, I'm delighted to see you. I'm sorry we
had to delay this a little bit, but we had the meeting with Prime
Minister Barak. I want to thank, first, Gerry and Susan, my longtime
friends. We went to college together. You can tell by looking at us, it
was a very long time ago. [Laughter] Susan worked for me many years in
the White House, and I miss her terribly, but I'm glad that they're here
together. And I'm glad--we've got this whole McGowan bunch of kids here,
proving that this is a pro-family administration. [Laughter]
I've been told that the people in our Embassy have produced 20
children in the last couple of years, so I want to thank you for that.
I'll use that as an exhibit as I go around the world.
Obviously, I'm grateful to Secretary Albright and to Secretary Daley
and to National Security Adviser Berger and our whole group. We had a
wonderful time here, and I want to say more about it in a minute. But I
would like to say just a few words about the meeting I had with Prime
Minister Barak this morning, because it is very important, and it's
still early in America. So if I say it to you, they'll all hear it
today. [Laughter]
First of all, he reaffirmed his intense commitment to reach an
historic and complete agreement with the Palestinians, which I think is
very important to settling all the issues and ending the conflict. I
know from my own discussions with Chairman Arafat that he also shares
this commitment and that he recognizes the real urgency of this moment
to actually get back on the timetable and complete the work that has to
be done.
I'm sending Secretary Albright to the Middle East next week to work
with both leaders on narrowing the gaps that still remain between them.
And I will soon meet with Chairman Arafat in Washington--I'll do it as
quickly as I can--finish my trip here and meet my other obligations.
Both leaders know from me, and they know from their own experience,
that they now have to be prepared to make an intense effort and to do
things that they have not done in the past, with real courage and
vision, if we're going to actually get a framework agreement that deals
with the outstanding issues.
And I can only tell you that I'm still convinced that they have the
courage, the vision, and the ability to do this, and the United
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States will do everything we can to help them pass this milestone. And I
know that your thoughts and prayers will be with them. This is tough
work. If it were easy, somebody would have done it a long time ago. But
actually, it is within view now. They could do and, I believe, they will
do it. And I'm going to do my best to help them do it.
Let me also now just thank all of you. I have had a wonderful time
here. I had a good meeting with Prime Minister Guterres, in both his
capacity as Prime Minister of this country and in Portugal's presidency
of the European Union. I had a good meeting and a good dinner with the
Portuguese President, Mr. Sampaio.
Hillary was here 3 years ago, and she came home raving about
everything about Portugal--literally raving about it. It was a couple of
days before she sort of hit the ground. [Laughter] And the one thing she
said is, ``You've got to go to this restaurant where they make sea bass
in salt''--[laughter]--``but there's no salt taste on the sea bass.'' I
heard about this over and over again. I thought it was a joke, you know.
So last night, Gerry took us all. We had a huge contingent. We went
to the Porta Santa Maria--is that right?--restaurant. It was too dark to
see the ocean but not too dark to see the sea bass in the salt.
[Laughter] So I can now go home and give a report that my wife did not
exaggerate at all. It was the most interesting thing I ever did, I
think.
And then something is happening--as I move toward the end of my
term, my staff has relaxed its requirement that I actually suffer a
physical breakdown on every trip from work, and I actually got to go
play golf yesterday. And I will never forget that. It was wonderful. So
we got a lot of work done; we had a good time; and I'm very grateful to
you for all you have done.
I also heard at the state dinner that wonderful Portuguese music
called fado. And I may never get over that. I've been asking everybody I
can find to send me CD's. I'm going to promote fado music all over the
world. [Laughter] I have been sort of the single-handed ambassador for
music coming out of northeast Brazil, but I think fado now has become my
major passion in life. [Laughter] So I'll do what I can to help.
I want to say just a few serious words to you. The people who
represent the United States around the world, both the people of our
Foreign Service, our Commerce Department, our military, the others who
are associated with our missions, and the foreign nationals who work
with us, almost never get any publicity. And usually--once in a rare
blue moon when they do get any publicity, it's because something bad
happened. And all the rest of the time you never get the credit you
deserve, day-in and day-out, for making the United States a good
partner, a good friend, a good neighbor, for doing all the work that has
to be done.
The relationship we have with this nation is strong, thanks in no
small measure to the work you do day-in and day-out, that too often goes
unrecognized. And in the 7\1/2\ years I have been privileged to serve as
President, every time I have gone to a foreign nation--and I've been to
more, apparently, than any other President; and Hillary, I think, has
been to more nations than any other First Lady--I've been told that it's
unfair for me to say that because, given the break-up of the Soviet
Union, we have more options than any previous First Couple has ever
had--[laughter]--so, doubtless, my record will be broken some time by
someone who likes to travel even more than I do and becomes President.
But I thought it was important for me to travel the world and for us
to try to make a better future out of the post-Communist, post-cold-war
world. So I've had the opportunity to see many things. And I just want
you to know that I am profoundly grateful to you for what you do and
that I have done what I could, both in ceremonies like this and in
speeches back home, to make sure that the American people know that they
are getting more than their money's worth, far more than their money's
worth, out of our diplomatic mission.
I have done what I could at every budget debate of the United States
Congress to argue that a lot of our national security and our national
interests are advanced by the diplomatic investments we make, by the
investments we make in our AID programs, by the investments we make in
the Peace Corps, by the investments we make in our
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commerce missions. It's not just a matter of military investments. If we
want to advance the national security interests of America, we have to
be good neighbors, good friends, and good partners. And you represent
all of that, and I am very, very, very grateful to you.
I also want to say that I'm grateful for the things you do here in
this country that kind of are above and beyond the call of duty. The
work you do with Portuguese families and Portuguese citizens, the things
that you share with them, are very, very important to me.
So let me say, I also have been told that there are three people who
have been working here for over 40 years. And I think I should recognize
them. Even if my Portuguese is not very good, I'll do my best. Graca,
Santos. All I can say is, if you've been working here 43 years, you were
obviously too young to go to work when you started. [Laughter] And Joao
and Teresa Venancio, who have been tending your garden all these years.
Where are they? I'm glad you're here.
So I say to you, to you three and to all of you, and to your family
and your children, obrigado. Thank you for what you have done for the
United States. And I know you'll be very glad when we're all gone.
[Laughter] Have a good wheels-up party.
Thank you very much.
Note: The President spoke at 12:10 p.m. in the Ballroom at the Dom Pedro
Hotel. In his remarks, he referred to Prime Minister Ehud Barak of
Israel; Chairman Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian Authority; Prime
Minister Antonio Guterres and President Jorge Sampaio of Portugal; and
U.S. Ambassador Gerald S. McGowan and his wife, Susan. A tape was not
available for verification of the content of these remarks.
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[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents]
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[Page 1260]
Monday, June 5, 2000
Volume 36--Number 22
Pages 1241-1269
Week Ending Friday, June 2, 2000
Statement on Welfare Reform
June 1, 2000
Today I am pleased to announce that new guidance is being released
that builds on my administration's long-standing commitment to reform
welfare, reward work, and support working families in their transition
from welfare to work. The Departments of Health and Human Services,
Labor, and Transportationare releasing updated guidance on how States
and communities can coordinate Federal resources to address the
transportation challenge in moving people from welfare to work. The
guidance provides a variety of innovative strategies that communities
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