U.S. Department of State
Dispatch Volume 7, Number 10, March 4, 1996
Bureau of Public Affairs
ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE:
1. Shaping a New World: U.S. and Brazilian Leadership in a Democratic,
Prosperous Hemisphere--Secretary Christopher
2. U.S. Reaffirms Partnership With a Democratic El Salvador--Secretary
Christopher
3. The U.S. and Central America: Working Together To Advance Common
Goals--Secretary Christopher, El Salvadoran President Calderon Sol
4. The U.S. and Central America: Working in Partnership for the
Environment--Secretary Christopher
5. U.S.-Chile Relations: A Successful Partnership--Secretary
Christopher, Chilean Foreign Minister Insulza
6. The U.S. and Argentina: Strengthening the Partnership--Secretary
Christopher
7. Argentine Troops Join the Peacekeeping Mission in Croatia--Secretary
Christopher
8. The U.S. and Argentina: Forging A Strong Global Partnership--
Secretary Christopher
9. Strengthening and Renewing the Growing U.S.-Brazil Partnership--
Secretary Christopher, Brazilian Foreign Minister Lampreia
10. U.S.-Brazil Launch Common Agenda on the Environment--Secretary
Christopher
11. Strengthening the Relationship Between the United States and
Trinidad and Tobago--Secretary Christopher, Trinidadian Prime Minister
Panday
12. U.S. Relations With Trinidad and Tobago: A Record of Investment and
Economic Cooperation--Trinidadian Prime Minister Panday, Brian Donnelly,
Alexander Watson, Hattie Babbitt
ARTICLE 1
Shaping a New World: U.S. and Brazilian Leadership in a Democratic,
Prosperous Hemisphere
Secretary Christopher
Address before the American Chamber of Commerce, Sao Paulo, Brazil,
March 2, 1996
In the mid-19th century, the famous English explorer Sir Richard Francis
Burton wrote that "Hospitality is the greatest delay in Brazilian
travel. . .you may do what you like; you may stay for a month, but not
for a day." I decided to take his advice. That is why I am spending two
days in Brazil.
I am delighted to be in Sao Paulo, the largest city in South America--
"the city that can't stop." Millions of Americans would feel right at
home here in a city that has the scale of my home city of Los Angeles,
the power of Chicago, the pace of New York, and the beat--perhaps I
should also say the heat--
of Miami. The industrious people and innovative businesses of Sao Paulo
are driving this country and this continent to the forefront of the
global economy.
It is an honor to address the American Chamber of Commerce of Sao Paulo.
You have helped level the playing field for foreign investors and helped
build a more open economy. You are giving back something of value to the
people of Brazil. Your "Quality in Teaching" project in this city's poor
neighborhoods is a model for those trying to expand opportunity
everywhere.
I have come to Latin America at a defining moment in our shared history.
Never before has this hemisphere been more free or more prosperous.
Where once country after country was subjected to military rule, today,
our hemisphere proudly counts 34 democracies among its 35 nations. Where
once economy after economy was caught in the grip of closed markets,
choking debt, and hyperinflation, today, Latin America and the Caribbean
is the second fastest-growing region in the world. Never before have so
many of its people enjoyed the liberties and opportunities of democracy.
Fifteen months ago at the Summit of the Americas in Miami, we
inaugurated a new era. Already, the spirit of Miami has become shorthand
for the new relationship based on cooperation and mutual respect between
the United States and its Latin American and Caribbean neighbors. We
simply must sustain our momentum. That is why the United States supports
holding a second Summit of the Americas in late 1997 or early 1998.
At Miami, our leaders charted a bold path to the future. Together, we
are strengthening the democratic values and institutions that form the
bedrock of our new hemispheric community. We are aiming to narrow
inequality and expand opportunity. We are protecting the environment.
And we are setting our sights on an ambitious goal: negotiating a Free
Trade Area of the Americas by the year 2005.
Since the Miami summit, a series of events threatened our progress and
tested our resolve. A little more than one year later, we can say that
we are passing the test with flying colors.
When Mexico was plunged into a financial crisis, President Zedillo acted
boldly to stabilize the economy without reverting to the discredited
policies of the past. President Clinton moved courageously when he
mobilized the United States and the international financial institutions
to stand by Mexico in its time of need. Here in Brazil and in Argentina,
President Cardoso and President Menem reacted to Mexico's crisis by
staying the course of economic reform.
When armed conflict broke out between Peru and Ecuador, Brazil acted
quickly with Argentina, Chile, and the United States to help end the
fighting and preserve the remarkable peace of our hemisphere. In Haiti,
despite the skeptics' doubts, free and fair elections went forward for
both the parliament and the presidency.
In short, 1995 was a year that proved the durability, not the fragility,
of positive change in the Americas. But we still have important work to
do together. Today, our hemisphere faces a dual challenge. Within our
nations, our task is to strengthen the foundations of democracy and open
markets. Among our nations, our task is to harness the collective power
of our shared values to meet the new challenges that transcend the
borders of this region and reach around the world. Critical to this
effort is a dynamic, democratic Brazil. Few nations face the future with
greater opportunities or greater responsibilities.
Together, Brazil and the United States share a special ability to help
meet the challenges within and among our nations. We are the largest
democracies in the New World. We are two of its three largest economies.
Our countries embrace immense resources, mighty rivers, and vast lands.
We have a common interest in opening markets and expanding the benefits
of growth. We have a common stake in resolving conflicts, in preventing
the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and in protecting the
environment.
These common goals are rooted in our history and shared values. The
promise of boundless opportunity has brought immigrants of every color
and creed to our shores from every corner of the globe. We share a
commitment to safeguarding human rights, ensuring the rule of law, and
extending liberty. As President Cardoso has said, today Brazil is "a
natural partner of the United States." Perhaps we have not been as close
to one another as we should have been, but that is changing. Now we have
the chance to combine our strength and form a strategic partnership.
Of course, Brazil's first obligation is to its people, and its greatest
recent achievement has been to return democracy to its citizens. Now
Brazil is demonstrating that democracy works--that good governance can
support economic stability and advance social justice.
President Cardoso has used his office to advance his life-long
commitment to the cause of human rights. By compensating the families of
those who "disappeared" during the long years of military rule, Brazil
is redressing injustices of the past. Honoring those who fight for human
rights sends a powerful message as well. In the examples of Cardinal
Arns and the movement to protect street children, Brazilians and South
Americans can find hope for the future.
As President Clinton has said, "when historians look back on our times,
they will marvel at the speed with which democracy has swept across the
entire Americas." Through collective action in Haiti, we demonstrated
that we are prepared to take forceful steps to preserve democracy in the
hemisphere. Democracy is ascendant across the region except in Cuba,
where, in the past week, the regime in Havana has once again shown its
true colors.
After traveling across Latin America this past week, let me say this to
the leaders of Cuba: In defending your brutal and illegal actions of
last Saturday, you are alone; in refusing to allow the Cuban people the
democracy and human rights they desire and deserve, you are alone. I am
confident that one day soon the people of Cuba will join the
irresistible tide to freedom and prosperity that has swept our
hemisphere.
We thank Brazil and the other democratic nations of our hemisphere, as
well as the members of the UN Security Council, for their support in
deploring the shootdown of the two defenseless American aircraft. Today,
the family and friends of the victims are traveling to the site of the
tragedy for a commemorative ceremony. My government is doing all it can
to see that the memorial service is peaceful and safe--and Cuba must do
the same. Be assured that the United States will act to protect the
rights and liberties of its citizens. We will not allow the reckless
actions of one country to threaten peace in our neighborhood.
Just as we must stand together against the enemies of democracy, we must
join together to meet the new challenges that threaten us. The Summit of
the Americas recognized that threats such as weapons proliferation,
terrorism, international crime, and narcotics trafficking have grown
more dangerous in a world grown closer. As President Clinton said in his
UN General Assembly speech last fall:
These forces jeopardize the global trend toward peace and freedom,
undermine fragile new democracies, sap the strength from developing
countries, and threaten our efforts to build a safer, more prosperous
world.
No country can afford to sit on the sidelines, and no country can meet
these challenges on its own. Now we have a new weapon with which to
confront them. The weapon is unity. Brazil can play a leadership role in
galvanizing that unity in this hemisphere and around the globe.
A decade ago, Brazil and Argentina were pursuing programs that increased
the risk of nuclear proliferation. The decision to turn away from this
dangerous course stands as a powerful rejection of those who think that
the spread of weapons of mass destruction is somehow inevitable. This
year we will work with Brazil to complete a comprehensive test ban
treaty. I urge Brazil, in the same vein, to sign the nuclear Non-
Proliferation Treaty.
Brazil and Argentina are helping to stabilize the region by their
prudent approach to modernizing their armed forces and avoiding a
conventional arms race. By maintaining peaceful borders with its 10
neighbors, Brazil has long been a force for peace and security on this
continent. Brazil and the United States are working together with the
other Rio guarantors to help finally achieve a lasting settlement
between Peru and Ecuador. Ending this dispute will take us toward the
important goal proposed at last year's defense ministerial meeting:
resolving all remaining border disputes in the Americas.
Brazil and the other nations of the Americas are helping to extend the
benefits of peace to regions beyond our hemisphere. Two days ago in
Buenos Aires, I was honored to review Argentine peacekeepers bound for
duty in the former Yugoslavia. From Brazilian soldiers in Mozambique and
Angola to Uruguayan forces in Cambodia, to Chilean participation in
Northern Iraq and Bosnia, we in the Americas are doing our part.
Closer to home, we are bringing new force to the hemisphere's fight
against terrorism. Next month in Lima, the members of the Organization
of American States will convene to adopt the first hemisphere-wide plan
of action to combat it.
We have scored important victories in the continuing fight against
another scourge--the drug traffickers. The United States is cooperating
closely with our summit partners to implement a comprehensive
counternarcotics strategy as we agreed in Miami. As a result of the
meeting last year in Buenos Aires, we are changing laws to prevent
criminals and drug traffickers from laundering their ill-gotten gains.
President Clinton has placed a high priority on attacking the menace of
drugs. In this fight, we value the cooperation of friends like Brazil
and Mexico. By identifying those who fail to meet their responsibility,
we seek to create incentives to do better in the future. That is what
the certification process and the certification decisions made by the
President yesterday are all about.
President Clinton's appointment of Gen. Barry McCaffrey to spearhead our
counter-narcotics campaign reinforces our determination to cooperate
with all the nations of Latin America and the Caribbean. As the former
U.S. Commander in this region, General McCaffrey is well-positioned to
lead my country's fight. And we will intensify the pressure against
narcotics use at home where our fight against drugs must also be won.
In all of these areas--stemming proliferation, maintaining security, and
combating drugs and terrorism--Brazil has a critical role to play. But
there is no area in which Brazil has greater opportunities or
responsibilities for leadership than in harnessing the full weight of
this economy to achieve hemispheric prosperity. You have the chance to
do this because of President Cardoso's commitment to economic reform.
Brazil, like Argentina and Chile, is privatizing and decentralizing. It
has stabilized its currency and reduced inflation, cut its debt and
restored growth, and expanded its trade and welcomed foreign investment.
The economic transformation of Latin America and the Caribbean has
caught the imagination of the world. Achieving this hemisphere's
economic promise requires a new generation of leaders determined to
bring the benefits of integration and growth home to their people. These
leaders are men and women who understand the future, who embrace change,
and who know that the private sector and open markets are the engines of
growth. There are few better examples than Presidents Cardoso and
Clinton. This region is blessed with many such leaders, several of whom
hosted me on this trip--President Menem of Argentina, President Frei of
Chile, and President Calderon Sol of El Salvador.
From the day he took office, President Clinton has placed job creation,
open markets, and fair trade at the center of our economic strategy. He
fought to enact NAFTA and to complete the GATT Uruguay Round. He brought
together the leaders of the Asia-Pacific region to forge a bold
commitment to open trade. He and the leaders of the European Union have
committed to build a new Transatlantic Marketplace. At the Miami summit,
he helped forge a hemisphere-wide consensus to negotiate a Free Trade
Area of the Americas that will create a $12-trillion market of 850
million consumers. His aim is clear: to make this hemisphere an even
more dynamic hub of the global economy and to open markets, create jobs,
and lift living standards.
With this task ahead, the great nations of the Americas must step
forward. Brazil has already demonstrated leadership in the movement
toward integration through the MERCOSUL customs union, an important
building block toward our goal of region-wide open trade. Now Brazil
should join us in energizing the effort to achieve a Free Trade Area of
the Americas by 2005. All the Summit nations need to agree on a plan
that will enable us to begin genuine negotiations to reach that goal.
That plan should be comprehensive, and it should include the new
priority areas of government procurement, services, competition policy,
and intellectual property rights.
As you well know, intellectual property rights are among the essential
rules of the road in an open and competitive global economy. The passage
this week of modern patent legislation by the Brazilian Senate will help
attract investment. Each summit partner must do its part.
At home in the United States, we are hearing from those who would shut
us off from the rest of the world. Let there be no doubt: The Clinton
Administration will continue to engage the world. We will fight for open
and fair trade and for the jobs it produces. The United States, as the
President said last week, will continue to "reach out, not retreat. . .
to break down walls, not build them up." The next century offers us the
spectacular panorama of growth as we break down barriers across the
Americas, across the Pacific, and across the Atlantic. Our
responsibilities have never been greater. We will meet them.
All of you know that the private sector must play an essential role in
making real this vision of growth and integration. Your investment
decisions, marketing strategies, and technological innovations together
break down barriers between our economies every day. We appreciate and
need your advice and support to ensure that every step we take has
practical, concrete relevance to business. Without your intensive
involvement in the Miami process, we will not be able to meet our goals
on the road to 2005.
To do your part, you need a stable and open business environment. When
you enter a new market, you have a right to know that the law is the
law, and it will be upheld. We welcome the progress under way throughout
the hemisphere to remove the stain of bribery and corruption in all its
dastardly forms.
Economic growth cannot be blind to the needs of our people or our
planet. "Growth, " as President Cardoso has said, cannot be sustained
"without social justice or if it destroys the balance with nature."
Across the continent, your nations are realizing that no group should
have a monopoly on the benefits of growth. Over the last five years,
hundreds of thousands of Chileans have risen from poverty with the help
of programs designed to create microenterprises and jobs. Here in
Brazil, President Cardoso's commitment to investing in education holds
the promise of a brighter future for this country's children.
Next year marks the fifth anniversary of the Rio Earth Summit. This is
an appropriate time to rededicate ourselves to achieving the summit's
essential goals for sustainable development.
We know that we cannot sustain economic growth if we deplete our finite
resources. But as President Clinton has said, we do not have to accept
"the false choice between development and protecting the environment."
Last Tuesday in San Salvador, I met with a dedicated group of business
people who are helping to solve the global problem of greenhouse gases.
Their theory is simple: A better environment for the world is also a
better environment for business.
Here in Sao Paulo, the public and private sectors are beginning to work
together to reduce air and water pollution. Tomorrow, I will fly to
Manaus on the edge of the world's largest rainforest. My visit reflects
two critical imperatives that underlie our commitment: First,
safeguarding precious natural resources; and second, ensuring that these
resources benefit our people.
In his inaugural address, President Cardoso gave voice to an abiding
faith that Brazilians and Americans share. He spoke of belonging to "a
generation that grew up cherishing the dream of building a Brazil that
would be both democratic and developed, free and just."
Here in Brazil and across this hemisphere, that dream of the Americas is
coming true. As we enter a new millennium, the New World is new once
again. Together we are building that better world in which free market
democracies lift the lives of their people, peacefully resolve
conflicts, and work together to address daunting global threats.
In facing these challenges, the United States and Brazil have much to
gain and important responsibility to bear. But I am confident that we
will rise to this challenge and leave to the children of the Americas a
safer, freer, and more prosperous hemisphere and world.
(###)
ARTICLE 2
U.S. Reaffirms Partnership With a Democratic El Salvador
Secretary Christopher
Address before the El Salvadoran Legislative Assembly, San Salvador, El
Salvador, February 26, 1996
Good morning. President Salguero, members of the National Assembly:
First, let me say how much I appreciate that warm welcome. I noticed
that you were all here when they called the roll. That's a much better
record than some other parliaments that I know about, and I thank you
for the honor you give me by being here. There are many distinguished
guests in the audience, and I also want to thank you for your presence
and the honor you give me by being here. It is, of course, a great honor
to address this Legislative Assembly and to have a chance to meet with
the elected representatives of the Salvadoran people.
I have come to Latin America at a decisive moment in the history of our
hemisphere. Never before have the Americas been more free or more
prosperous. Never before have our relations been stronger. Never have we
had a better chance to build a mature partnership based upon mutual
respect between the United States and its Latin American and Caribbean
neighbors.
On behalf of President Clinton, I am here to reaffirm how proud the
United States is to be a partner of a democratic El Salvador. Here in
this National Assembly, the very heart of your democracy, we celebrate
the freedom and opportunity that democracy and open markets have brought
to all of the Americas. In each of our nations, democracy has given a
voice and a choice to those who were once silenced or suppressed. And in
each of our nations, economic reform is offering people a better
opportunity to lift up their lives.
But democracy and open markets are not ends in themselves. They are
important because we can now join forces to advance other common goals.
As President Clinton said at the historic Summit of the Americas in
Miami, we have a "dazzling opportunity to build a community of nations
committed to the values of liberty and to the promise of prosperity."
We will strengthen the foundation for this community in my visits this
week to Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Trinidad and Tobago. But I have
come here first to El Salvador, because without the great progress that
you and your neighbors have made toward democracy and reconciliation,
the bold vision of the Miami summit would still be a distant mirage.
We respect the memory of the tens of thousands who died here in El
Salvador during your civil war and the grief of those that they left
behind. We respect also the perseverance of those who negotiated for 22
months to end that tragic conflict. And we respect the bravery of those
who defied dire threats to cast their votes in an election that meant a
better future.
Here in this Assembly, the most diverse and representative in your
nation's history, former foes are practicing tolerance instead of
terror. Together you have taken brave steps to account for past
brutalities and to keep them from happening again. And together, you
have launched reforms that helped your economy grow last year at a rate
matched by few countries on any continent.
The United States is especially proud to have helped you transfer land
to former adversaries and their families. Already, this program has
granted title to more than 32,000 former soldiers and guerrillas. This
morning, the Foreign Minister and I, in the presence of your President,
signed an agreement that provides $10 million in additional assistance
from the United States to assure completion of this important program.
Since the peace agreement in 1992, the United States has provided El
Salvador with more than $600 million in assistance. Through USAID, we
have helped to build roads and restore electricity to towns and villages
torn apart by war. Our assistance has bolstered democracy by training
mayors and local officials. We have funded rural schools and clinics,
and we have supplied artificial limbs to the thousands left handicapped
by mines, bombs, and bullets. I want to assure you that we know the job
is not done, and we know that you are entitled to deserve our further
assistance.
Many countries and institutions have joined in helping Salvador's
salvation. Your peace accords would not have been possible without the
"Four Friends"--Mexico, Spain, Colombia, and Venezuela. The World Bank
and the Inter-American Development Bank have helped you sustain peace
and reconciliation. I met with the President of the Inter-American
Development Bank just before coming down here, and he told me how
pleased he was that I was coming here to recognize your progress. The
United Nations has worked with you to demobilize the combatants to
monitor human rights and to help train your police. Indeed, those in my
country who have doubted the value of the United Nations should come
here and see how the United Nations has helped resolve one of this
hemisphere's most intractable conflicts.
Across Central America, conflicts driven by class, race, and ideology
are coming to an end, and fear has been replaced by hope.
In Guatemala, the Guatemalan people, aided by strong support from the
OAS, forcefully demonstrated their commitment to democracy in rejecting
an illegal coup in 1993 and by holding elections. Just before coming
here, I also met with the Secretary General of the OAS and he also
underscored the importance of my being here. I am very glad to be
accompanied here today by our Ambassador to the OAS, Hattie Babbitt, who
has made such a contribution in that role. President Arzu and the new
congress in Guatemala are working to heal national divisions and to root
out corruption and criminal conduct. The resumption of talks last week
in Mexico City will, we believe, give the peace process a new momentum.
In Nicaragua, the warm welcome given earlier this month by all
Nicaraguans to Pope John Paul II attests to the great strides in that
country made toward peace and reconciliation. Orderly and fair elections
this year will be critical to sustaining the spirit of tolerance and
renewal. I urge the winner of the presidential elections to follow the
impressive example that has been set by President Chamorro.
The spread of democracy and the end of conflict have given new life to
the dream of a Central America united by a common purpose. Together,
your nations have revitalized your common market. Your new joint
security treaty and your decision to include Belize in your
consultations have bolstered your ability to respond to regional
challenges. Now, drawing on the spirit of Miami, all the nations of the
hemisphere can harness the collective power of our commitment to shared
values.
Our vital task is to ensure that this hemisphere's hard-won democracy
remain secure. Across the Americas, our nations have sent a strong
signal that we will act together to defend democratically elected
governments. In Haiti, the nations of this hemisphere join to say "no"
to dictatorship and to say "yes" to democracy. Now we call on all OAS
members to ratify the Washington Protocol in order to strengthen our
ability to act together against any government that unlawfully seizes
power. We must do all we can to ensure that the will of the people
remains the will of the hemisphere, and that also means extending
democracy's reach to Cuba, its last remaining dictatorship.
The shooting down of two small, unarmed civilian aircraft over
international waters by the Cuban military on Saturday is a vivid
reminder of the brutal character of the regime in Havana. It was a
blatant violation of international law. I thank the President of the
Assembly, I thank the Foreign Minister, I thank the President of the
nation for their support for the United States in this difficult moment.
The United States and our Latin American and Caribbean partners have
long agreed on the need for Cuba to make a peaceful transformation to
democracy. Although sometimes we disagreed on tactics, today we can all
agree that the kind of lawless, uncivilized behavior that we saw last
Saturday is totally unacceptable in our hemisphere.
Democracy's triumph in the nations of the Americas would not have taken
place without the growing professionalism of the hemisphere's military
forces, not least in Central America. At last July's Defense Ministerial
in Williamsburg, military and civilian leaders reaffirmed that when
citizens have cast their ballots, soldiers should respect the results.
Just as governments have committed their military to protecting the
nation, they have also committed their peace to protecting their people.
Here in El Salvador, your National Civilian Police and your Public
Security Academy are two of the most important institutions to emerge
from the peace accord, and so we applaud recent police reforms here as
well as those undertaken in Honduras and Nicaragua. Let us all speak
with one strong voice: Vigilantism and other illegal police activity
have no place in the new Central America.
We must also strengthen democracy's roots in our hemisphere by promoting
accountable government and creating strong public institutions. As we in
the United States learn every day, democracy is an eternal work in
progress. The development of political parties, an independent
judiciary, equitable laws, and independent trade unions are important
values if democracy is to thrive. I urge this Assembly to act decisively
on the vital constitutional and legal reforms that are pending before
you.
Respect for human rights remains the moral touchstone of this
hemisphere's commitment to democracy. Lasting peace is impossible where
fundamental freedoms are denied. The Truth Commission that you set up to
account for your past wrongs is a model that has been very valuable as
tribunals have been set up in Rwanda, Haiti, and the former Yugoslavia.
And the human rights ombudsman has become a strong voice for all
Salvadorans. Our closest ties will always be to governments committed to
protecting human rights.
Just as the march of democracy is bringing new hope to this hemisphere,
the opening of the region's economies is beginning to free its people
from poverty and inequity. As President Arzu said in his inauguration
speech, "God didn't create Guatemala to be enjoyed by the few." That is
a sentence that has wide application in our hemisphere. Here in El
Salvador, far- reaching reforms are restoring your economy's pre-war
dynamism. We look forward to negotiating treaties on investment and
copyright protection which will aid our investment in this great
promising country. We congratulate you on the rights that your new labor
code has given to your workers, and we urge you to strengthen its
enforcement in your thriving maquila industry.
Your economic reforms are a beacon for the region. Last month, President
Reina's government in Honduras introduced broad reforms to increase
growth, exports, investment, and employment. For the first time--to take
another country, for the first time in more than a decade--Nicaragua has
experienced two consecutive years of economic growth and finally an
inflation rate that has plunged from 11,000% to 11%.
Internal economic reforms are driving dramatic growth in regional trade
and laying the foundation for the negotiation by 2005 of the Free Trade
Area for the Americas that our leaders courageously endorsed in Miami.
On behalf of President Clinton, let me reaffirm our determination to
reach that goal and to provide leadership in helping others to do so.
Today, I am pleased to make an announcement that will advance our goal
of open trade in the hemisphere. Just before I left Washington,
President Clinton told me that in his March budget proposal, he will
include an interim trade program for countries that are part of the
Caribbean Basin Initiative--the so-called CBI.
This NAFTA-parity program will expand the range of products covered by
the CBI, including now textiles, apparel, and footwear, as well as
petroleum. This effort will help the smaller economies make the
transition to open trade, while opening new opportunities for us in a
region that is already the fastest-growing market for American exports.
This step will help the economies of Central America and the Caribbean
in many, many ways that are good for this region--and, are good for the
United States. It creates jobs here and jobs in the United States.
In our increasingly open and integrated hemisphere, problems often
follow progress. International crime, narcotics, and damage to the
environment have grown more threatening as our hemisphere has grown
closer together. Each of us must vigorously fight these enemies on our
own, yet none of us will be secure until we can all fight them together.
Central America has fought hard against the scourge of illegal drugs.
Joint efforts by the United States and Guatemala, for example, have
virtually eliminated its once-thriving opium poppy crop and
substantially curtailed cocaine shipments. But drug traffickers are
seeking now to expand in Belize and, we all regret to say, remain a
threat in Costa Rica, Honduras, and even here in El Salvador and more
work together is necessary. The United States will continue to help
train police officers and to provide equipment and other resources where
they can be most effectively used. President Clinton's appointment of
Gen. Barry MacCaffrey to spearhead an aggressive counternarcotics
campaign underscores our commitment to work with our partners in this
hemisphere and to intensify the war against drugs at home in the United
States.
President Clinton, in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly
last fall, unveiled an ambitious strategy that targets the assets of
criminals and drug cartels and that denies them sanctuary. It also
boosts global law enforcement cooperation. Through the Miami summit, our
34 democracies have launched a coordinated assault on money-launderers,
and we have advanced our counternarcotics strategy in our campaign
against corruption. For our efforts to succeed, criminals must have no
place to hide and no chance to enjoy their ill-gotten gains. I call on
El Salvador and the nations of Central America to pass laws that deny
sanctuary to criminals regardless of their nationality and laws that
make money-laundering a heavily punished crime.
We must also intensify our efforts against those who smuggle migrants
across our borders. They are the slave traders of this era. They
undermine confidence in the benefits of legal migration not just in the
United States, but throughout the Americas. We hope that other
governments in Central America will follow Honduras' lead and make
migrant smuggling a heavily punished crime. For the sake of all our
citizens, our nations must work together to stop this dehumanizing and
illegal trade in migrants.
The United States will faithfully enforce our immigration laws and
pursue immigration policies that are fair, humane, and non-
discriminatory. Rights of all who are in the United States will be
protected and reasonable. Fair procedures will be rigorously followed.
We are committed to that approach. From El Segundo in Los Angeles, which
is my home, to Mt. Pleasant in Washington, which is my current home,
there are almost 1 million people of Salvadoran descent in the United
States making valuable contributions to our society, including many in
the United States Armed Forces, some of them working to bring peace in
Bosnia.
Finally, our nations must meet another fundamental challenge: the
challenge to protect our environment. Environmental damage and
unsustainable population growth pose a threat to our security and
prosperity. We must move, as President Clinton says, beyond the false
choice that pits economic development against environmental protection.
Neither can be achieved without the other.
This is especially true in your beautiful country, which has one of the
highest population densities in the hemisphere. Only by carefully
managing your resources will you fulfill the dreams of your people while
protecting the beauty and wealth of your cloud forests and mangrove
swamps. The Americas--all the countries of the Americas--appreciate El
Salvador's leadership in pursuing the summit's ambitious agenda of
sustainable development.
We will continue working with such leaders as President Figueres of
Costa Rica and Prime Minister Esquivel of Belize, who are devising
innovative ways to protect precious natural resources. We will bolster
our cooperation through the CONCAUSA agreement that our presidents
signed in Miami. And we will support the innovative efforts in this
region to implement measures to reduce greenhouse gases.
As I conclude my remarks today, let me say that El Salvador's success in
ending a bitter conflict has brought hope to your neighbors and inspired
peacemakers around the world. Out of a legacy of repression and
injustice, you have forged a new, strong commitment to democracy and
freedom. From the ashes of war, you are building an economy that is
offering new and better opportunities to all your citizens.
The end of the Cold War has given the Americas a chance to write a new
chapter in our shared history. Across two continents, our people are
forging a new democratic partnership to meet the challenges of the new
millennium.
The road ahead may be as difficult as it is rewarding. But the course
set by our leaders in Miami is clear. By working together, we can build
an integrated hemisphere whose people are united in hope and progress,
and whose nations enjoy the benefits of stability, prosperity, and
democracy.
El Salvador and its neighbors have helped lead the way by pursuing the
path of peace and reconciliation. As you continue on that great journey,
the United States will stand by you every step of the way.
Thank you very much.
(###)
ARTICLE 3
The U.S. and Central America: Working Together To Advance Common Goals
Secretary Christopher, El Salvadoran President Calderon Sol
Remarks during press availability with Heads of State of Central
America, San Salvador, El Salvador, February 26, 1996
President Armando Calderon Sol (as translated by interpreter). First of
all, I want to say that El Salvador is honored by the visit of the Heads
of State of Central America, the Prime Minister of Belize, and the
Secretary of State of the United States. For El Salvador and for its
people, this is a momentous occasion. We believe that our peace process,
our democracy, is the basis for their presence with us here today. This
has been a very fruitful meeting for Central America. We have discussed
the salient points that are on the agenda, not only for our region, but
also for the entire world. Central America, as a whole at this meeting,
has condemned the violence that was used in the shooting down of the two
civilian aircraft by the Cuban military this week. We have been
unanimous in supporting President Clinton's decisive action in going to
the United Nations to seek redress for these actions. This has been an
example for the entire world; the fact that problems can be solved
through international law, and, as we know, the deaths of these
civilians violates international law. This has properly been managed
through the United Nations.
We have expressed our solidarity with the position adopted by the people
and the Government of the United States. Among other subjects discussed
was that of trade parity and the need that Central America and the
Caribbean have to obtain a system of NAFTA parity for our international
trade. Otherwise, we find ourselves at a very great disadvantage vis-a-
vis our neighbors. Our region needs to generate more employment,
something which can be achieved through free trade. We need a positive
response, and this is a positive response that we have heard today from
the Secretary of State on behalf of the United States. We hope this
response will become a reality very soon.
Another important subject we dealt with today was that of immigration.
We received assurances from the Secretary of State that there will be no
massive deportations of foreign citizens from the United States. We also
discussed the need for our brothers and sisters of Central America to
see that the United States follow programs of social and cultural
struggle against the anti-immigration feelings that have appeared in
certain sectors of that country. The Secretary has expressed to us that
he is equally concerned in this regard.
Another subject of conversation was that of drug trafficking and the
need to fortify all of Central America politically, and we need to do
this through properly trained police forces that will be able to fight
crime, corruption, and drugs.
Another subject of discussion on the agenda was other kinds of
cooperation that we can achieve with the United States of America.
Today, we were able to hold a very important meeting and we want to
thank everyone involved, in particular the Secretary of State, for his
presence here today. And now, the Secretary of State of the United
States of America.
Secretary Christopher. Good afternoon. First, I want to thank President
Calderon Sol for hosting this very useful and important meeting, and
also thank the other Central American leaders who were good enough to
come here to San Salvador to join me in this session. President Calderon
Sol has given you a rather full account of the session that we had, so I
can shorten the remarks that I might otherwise need to make.
As the President said, we had a good discussion of the brutal shoot-down
of the two unarmed civilian aircraft over international waters by the
Cuban military on Saturday. I appreciate very much the statement that
the President has made on behalf of his Central American colleagues.
There is no question in my mind that this was an utterly lawless act,
completely unjustified. I reject the very weak explanations that the
Cubans have been giving. As the European Union said, there simply is no
justification for what they have done. As you probably know in the
press, President Clinton has just announced a series of immediate steps
that will be taken. They are steps that are appropriate, yet firm. They
deal with the situation in a way that, I think, you will regard as
responsible for the President of one of the superpowers. As the
President said, he will not rule out further steps, but for the time
being we are going to emphasize strongly action by the United Nations,
which is pending here as we speak. I was very gratified by the comments
that were made by the President of El Salvador on that subject.
Now, as the President said, we discussed a number of other topics and
worked together to advance our common goals.
First, and I know of great interest in this region, I announced this
morning that President Clinton will present in his March budget proposal
an interim trade program for countries that are part of the Caribbean
Basin Initiative--the CBI. This program will expand the range of
products involved beyond those that are already involved with the CBI,
including such products as apparel and textiles and shoes. This will, no
doubt, if and when enacted, help the economies of Central America and
the Caribbean to make the transition to open markets by the year 2005.
It will certainly expand opportunities, both for the United States and
the countries of the Central American region.
Second, the United States pledged to intensify its cooperation with
Central America against international criminals and narcotic
traffickers. I proposed that we open discussions next month with the
Central American countries to discuss concrete steps that we can take
with respect to the assets of criminals and drug traffickers, and ways
to improve our enforcement cooperation. I will be sending a team to this
region to have discussions with your law enforcement officials. One of
the things that I heard in the meeting today was the high importance of
professionalizing the police, and we will see if we can find ways to
help the nations of the region do so.
Third, we agreed that there are new joint efforts required to deal with
the growing problem of smugglers who traffic in migrants who want to
work in another country. We talked about ways to deal with this really
quite horrific conduct, and I hope we can be successful in this regard.
Finally, we talked about ways to protect the environment and to pursue
sustainable development. The United States will spend almost $25 million
on projects for the environment in Central America in the next year, and
I think this gives us a way to deepen our already good cooperation.
I want to thank again President Calderon Sol and his colleagues for the
steps we have taken today to deepen our partnership, to increase our
mutual respect, and to act together in our shared interest. Mr.
President, colleagues, thank you very much.
(###)
ARTICLE 4
The U.S. and Central America: Working In Partnership for the Environment
Secretary Christopher
Address to the World Business Council, San Salvador, El Salvador,
February 27, 1996
Good morning. President Zablah, thank you very much for that nice
introduction. I also want to thank you for disrupting your schedule in
order to hear a few words from me. I want to begin this morning by
extending my condolences for the passing away of Luis Poma. Through his
leadership of this organization and his widespread business interests
throughout this region, Luis Poma made a substantial contribution to
this country's development. I know that you will honor his memory by
continuing to champion his commitment to the strong environmental and
sustainable development values that underlie this organization.
This meeting today is reflective of a very important objective of my
trip to Latin America and the Caribbean: to reinforce our security and
prosperity by promoting sustainable development and protecting our
environment. Your pioneering work is the clearest proof that those who
pit economic development against environmental protection make what
President Clinton has called a "false choice." Our citizens need and
deserve both--that is, a healthy environment and a strong and sound
economy.
By helping to organize the Summit of the Americas Conference on
Sustainable Development in Bolivia this year, you are helping to ensure
social progress and economic prosperity for all our peoples. I am
delighted to have a chance to emphasize here today from this platform
the importance of that conference in Bolivia. By this action you
recognize that working together to protect Central America's natural
resources makes good business sense. It opens opportunities to develop
and market new environmental technologies. It offers El Salvador and its
neighbors the chance to benefit from the experience of others and to
avoid the short-sighted mistakes that have been made over and over again
in the past.
President Clinton and I strongly believe that protecting our environment
is a central national interest of the United States. Whether in San
Francisco or San Salvador, pollution can take a tremendous toll on human
health and the prospects for stability and economic development. Damage
to the environment can intensify conflicts between nations over
shrinking resources and competing needs. It weakens our global economy
by harming agriculture and fisheries, forests and manufacturing.
That is why the Clinton Administration is putting environmental goals
squarely in the mainstream of our foreign policy. Earlier this month,
working closely with Vice President Gore who has given so much
leadership on this issue, I instructed the Department of State to
identify the impact of environmental and population issues on key U.S.
interests and to improve the way we use our diplomacy to achieve
environmental objectives. I am determined that we will fully integrate
the environment into our diplomacy, and we will be working on that very
hard in 1996.
The State Department also will focus on how we can make greater use of
environmental initiatives to achieve larger strategic and economic
goals. Here in Central America, that means strengthening stability and
prosperity through the CONCAUSA partnership that our presidents signed
at the Miami summit a little over a year ago. It means supporting the
peace process in the Middle East by encouraging joint water projects.
One of the real dividends of the peace between Israel and Jordan has
been the development of joint water projects in that region where water
is in such short supply. It means deepening our alliance with Japan
through our Common Agenda on health and the environment. The Common
Agenda with Japan is, I think, one of the world's untold success stories
and reflects the excellent cooperation between the United States and
Japan. Globally it means helping our companies capture more of the $400-
billion market in environmental technologies. I am going to set out
these goals more fully in a major policy address this spring.
As part of this policy process, I recently invited some of the best
scientists in the United States to brief me and my senior staff about
the issue that brings us here today: climate change. The build-up of
heat-trapping "greenhouse gases" and the resulting threat of dramatic
changes in the earth's climate system are among the most significant,
long-term economic, environmental, and diplomatic challenges facing the
world, and we intend to make sure that we do our part to address these
challenges.
That is why the United States has been pleased to help pioneer joint
efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. Initiative on Joint
Implementation recognizes that greenhouse gas is a global concern--and
that cutting carbon dioxide in San Jose, California, is just as
important as cutting it in San Jose, Costa Rica. So far, four Central
American countries have used the initiative to fund projects that range
from reforestation to the building of solar energy stations. This offers
an inexpensive way to reduce emissions, as well as new opportunities for
trade and the exchange of technology.
By organizing conferences such as this and by helping to bring these
projects to life, you are providing both immediate concrete results and
a cooperative vision for the future. We will continue to support your
efforts and to work with all the governments of Central America to
strengthen our partnership for the environment. The United States of
America is determined to strengthen this new partnership for the
environment for sustainable development for the 21st century--between
the public and private sectors, between North and South America, between
humankind and the natural resources we inherited. Our common future
depends upon working together in this partnership for the environment
and sustainable development. I wish you a very good conference, and I
want to thank you again for receiving me.
(###)
ARTICLE 5
U.S.-Chile Relations: A Successful Partnership
Secretary Christopher, Chilean Foreign Minister Insulza
Secretary Christopher
Remarks upon arrival, Santiago, Chile, February 27, 1996.
Mr. Minister, thank you very much for that warm welcome. I am delighted
to be here in Santiago. Being here on behalf of President Clinton and
the American people gives me the chance to strengthen the growing ties
between Chile and the United States. Chile has earned the world's
respect for its vibrant democracy, its strong economy, and its
commitment to the needs of all citizens. Our shared interests and ideals
have made it possible for us to work together in a partnership for peace
and prosperity in this hemisphere and around the world.
During my visit, I will meet with President Frei and Foreign Minister
Insulza to deepen our already firm and warm cooperation. For example, we
have been working very closely together on the border problem between
Peru and Ecuador and on our role as guarantors under the Rio Protocol.
We have been working closely with Chile in the Security Council, and I
am very grateful to Chile for its strong support in the unanimous
decision taken by the Security Council only yesterday to deplore the
action of Cuba in shooting down two unarmed American civilian planes.
The Minister and I will discuss a number of matters together, carrying
forward the Summit of the Americas' progress to encourage the entire
hemisphere--including our own nations--to open markets and to achieve
full economic integration.
Trade between the United States and Chile has grown rapidly. The jobs
created by that trade in both of our countries are a clear answer to
those who would say that the United States should shut itself off from
the rest of the world.
We will continue to work with Chile and our other partners in the region
for open and fair trade. My visit comes at a quite remarkable moment in
the history of the hemisphere. Never before have our relations with
Latin America been stronger. Never before have so many people been free
and prosperous. That is especially true of our relations with Chile. I
look forward to working here on this visit to strengthen our broad
partnership, a partnership which is based upon mutual respect and our
desire to advance common goals for the region. Thank you very much.
Secretary Christopher, Chilean Foreign Minister Insulza
Opening remarks at a press conference, Palacio de La Moneda, Santiago,
Chile, February 28, 1996.
Foreign Minister Insulza (unofficial translation). Good morning. I only
want to say, in the first place, that we had with the Secretary of State
this morning some very important discussions regarding the range of
issues in our relationship, our engagement in the hemisphere, and on a
number of themes relating to world politics that we wanted to discuss.
However, the first point that is important to make is the extremely
positive appraisal we both have of the state of our bilateral relations
in the hemispheric context. We want to say we share with the Secretary
of State the belief that the relationship between Chile and the United
States is experiencing one of the best periods in its history. This goes
beyond words and is reflected in the depth and degree of the political
dialogue we have.
We have had a series of meetings in past years in which we have been
able to coordinate our policy on a number of issues, in what's been an
in-depth, political dialogue based on common values. We have cooperated
satisfactorily on issues such as the Summit of the Americas; the crisis
in Haiti; the crisis between Peru and Ecuador--in which we both are
members of the group of guarantor countries--and on economic matters,
where in addition to the invitation of the Presidents of the United
States and Mexico and that of the Prime Minister of Canada for Chile to
participate in the North American Free Trade Agreement, the United
States remains our most important trading partner in the world and the
main source of foreign investment in Chile. In the end, these are
substantial economic factors upon which to base any relationship and any
negotiation. In this framework, we are ready to move forward and resolve
any problem, no matter what difficulty we may find in our path, with the
certainty that we have a mature, friendly relationship and association,
which I repeat, is one of the steadiest we have had in our history.
I am very glad to have been able to receive Secretary Christopher. He
has had a discussion with President Frei and will himself address its
principal themes, and so I now have the pleasure of asking him to
speak.
Secretary Christopher. Thank you, Mr. Minister. My discussions today
with President Frei and the Foreign Minister have deepened the
partnership between the United States and Chile. We built on the close
ties between President Clinton and President Frei which they forged in
President Frei's 1994 visit to the United States. Today, I was pleased
to convey President Clinton's invitation to President Frei to pay a
state visit to Washington sometime later this year.
The successful partnership between our two nations is, of course,
grounded in shared democratic values. Chile has overcome a painful past
to restore a strong democracy with an accountable government and a
rapidly growing economy. Chile is, indeed, a model for the reforms that
bring stability and prosperity to so many of its neighbors. President
Clinton and I are, of course, both very pleased that our diplomatic
relationship and the overall partnership between our two countries is
growing rapidly.
I told both the President and the Foreign Minister that the United
States greatly appreciates the strong support Chile gave us in the UN
Security Council for the resolution deploring the brutal action of Cuba
in shooting down two unarmed, civilian planes. We look forward to
working with Chile in the Security Council to ensure in this situation
that international law is upheld and that such blatant violations are
not repeated. My discussion with both the President and the Foreign
Minister focused on the progress made in carrying out our broad agenda,
the agenda that was worked out between the Presidents at the Miami
Summit conference. We reaffirmed our commitment to achieve a Free Trade
Area of the Americas by the year 2005 and to take further action toward
that goal in the meeting of ministers at Cartagena next month.
Chile's reforms have created one of the most open and successful
economies in the world. The Minister said this morning that the United
States is Chile's largest trading partner, and our foreign investment
here, which I think is the largest of any country, increases every year.
In my meetings with both the President and the Foreign Minister, I
reaffirmed our Administration's commitment to negotiating Chile's
accession to NAFTA.
We also discussed the next steps to be taken to resolve the border
conflict between Peru and Ecuador. I expressed my great appreciation to
the President for the strong and cooperative action that Chile has taken
in regard to that conflict. We will continue working together as
guarantors under the Rio Pact.
I believe our discussions today have given new momentum to our
partnership, and I look forward to working with the Foreign Minister and
with the President as Chile takes its rightful place as one of the
leading nations, not only in our hemisphere, but in the world, a role
that is recognized by its membership at the current time in the United
Nations Security Council. Thank you very much, Mr. Minister.
Secretary Christopher
Remarks in meeting with Minister of Justice Soledad Alvear and others,
Santiago, Chile, February 28, 1996.
Madame Minister and distinguished ladies and gentlemen: I want to thank,
to begin with, the staff members of the Legal Services Center for
explaining to me the excellent program that you have. It reflects the
determination of your country to extend the rule of law and the benefits
of prosperity to all of your people. The United States is pleased to
have had, in an earlier time, a modest role in the commencement of this
endeavor, and we are certainly pleased to be here to see the progress
that has been made.
In the last few years, almost every nation in Latin America and the
Caribbean has arrived at a new consensus that democratic governments and
open markets serve the interests of all the people, a consensus that has
led to the greatest period of prosperity and cooperation that our
hemisphere has ever known. Certainly there is no better example than
that of Chile.
Since embracing market democracy, Chile has received many plaudits
around the world for the remarkable economic growth that you have
sustained and the way that you have succeeded in lifting millions of
people from poverty. This is a model for reform that, I think, has been
widely appreciated around the world.
Chile has understood that free market reform alone by no means ensures
that every child born in poverty will have a chance to overcome it.
Democratic elections alone do not guarantee that every citizen will be
treated with dignity under the law. That is why our nations declared at
the Summit of the Americas in Miami that democracy is judged by the
rights enjoyed by the least influential members of society. That is why
the work of this center, the program that you have outlined here today
and others like it, are so vital and so worthy of continued support.
The lawyers and the staff who work in this program are helping to ensure
that every Chilean citizen has access to the law.
As I understand the presentation you have made here, you have 60 legal
service centers to provide legal services to more than 700,000 people, a
truly splendid result. You apparently handle everything from criminal
cases to labor disputes, and, of course, we have heard an eloquent
example of the kind of assistance that this program can render. The
program also helps to educate citizens about their rights and offers a
variety of social services. In short, these 60 centers provide working
proof of Chile's commitment to democracy and to the rule of law.
Our hemisphere is striving to provide justice for all people. I have had
a deep interest in this program for many years. I, myself, served in the
United States Department of Justice as Deputy Attorney General in the
late 1960s and, at that time, I had special responsibility for the
rights of citizens. In my private legal career, I have been deeply
involved in what is always an unfinished task of trying to ensure the
legal rights for each and every American. I found that legal guarantees
often mean very little until they are vindicated by citizens in a court
of law. But when citizens can assert their rights without fear, when
they have confidence that justice will prevail because they have
confidence in the judicial system, then law comes to life and so does
the confidence and faith that people have in democracy.
Many of you are familiar with the famous book, The Postman, whose film
version has been nominated for an academy award in the United States
this year. It has introduced millions of Americans to the poetry of
Pablo Neruda, and I must say, this book and the film has brought to our
attention a whole new aspect of culture. In the book, Neruda explains to
a young postman that "the names of things have nothing whatsoever to do
with how simple or how complicated they are." As the Chilean people
know well, democracy is the simple name for a complicated system of
government and a complicated set of challenges.
If democracy is to endure, our citizens must have access to the legal
system and to the skills they need to lead a productive life. Through
the kind of programs that you have described here today, Chile is
advancing the same principle that President Clinton has embraced in the
United States, and that is putting people first. Our nations are united
in their commitment to make democracy work for all the people. We are
united in our support for programs like this Legal Services Center and
the 60 centers that you have throughout your nation.
It is an honor to be here today and to get this important glimpse of
life within the Chilean democracy. I was saying to the Justice Minister
earlier this morning that the scourge of criminal conduct is troublesome
in so many countries throughout our hemisphere. I hear demands for more
justice, a better criminal justice system throughout the entire
hemisphere. One very important element of that is a justice system, a
court system in which people have confidence. No law enforcement
endeavor will be successful unless the people have confidence that the
legal system will protect the rights of all, including the rights of
those who are arrested as well as those of innocent victims. It is very
much a two-sided problem, and I am very grateful for this exposition--
for the program you have here for protecting the rights of your
citizens. Thank you very much for the opportunity to be with you.
(###)
ARTICLE 6
The U.S. and Argentina: Strengthening the Partnership
Secretary Christopher
Recognizing Argentina's International Commitments
Remarks upon arrival, Buenos Aires, Argentina, February 28, 1996.
Good afternoon. I am very privileged and pleased to visit Argentina on
behalf of the United States and President Clinton. During the past
decade, Argentina has taken very long strides in what is one of this
hemisphere's most remarkable transformations. Under the leadership of
President Menem, Argentina has deepened its democracy and laid a very
strong basis for sustained economic growth. Indeed, the bold reforms of
President Menem were severely tested and passed the test during the last
year. I think Argentina has been seen as a role model by many, many
other countries--not only in this hemisphere but elsewhere. Argentina's
strong commitments to democratic government and the open market have
been very important and can be a lesson for its neighbors. Whether in
settling border disputes or in fighting against terrorism or helping to
restore democracy in Haiti, Argentina is lending its growing strength to
realize the vision of the Miami Summit at which the leaders pledged
themselves to an open, integrated, and democratic hemisphere to join in
the fight against crime, corruption, and poverty.
As a result of our shared interests and values, the partnership between
the United States and Argentina is closer than ever before. In places as
remote and as distant as Haiti and Kuwait and the former Yugoslavia, our
soldiers have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in an attempt bring the
blessings of peace and freedom to other people in the world. I want to
single out two places in particular. We greatly appreciate the
assistance of Argentina and its soldiers in Haiti where we helped to
restore democracy to that tragic country. I also want to emphasize the
importance of our work together as the guarantors under the Rio Pact to
try to ensure that the dispute between Ecuador and Peru would be settled
in a harmonious and peaceful manner.
Our commercial and economic ties have grown even closer as the economic
reforms here have brought new opportunities for trade and investment.
Our work together is meant to ensure not just the prosperity of our two
countries but of the hemisphere and the world as a whole.
Tomorrow I will meet with President Menem and Foreign Minister Di Tella
to take steps to strengthen our cooperation on a number of issues. I
will sign two agreements on Space and Nuclear Energy that underscore
Argentina's growing and important role in non-proliferation. I am
especially looking forward to meeting with a group of Argentine soldiers
to pay tribute to the role that Argentina is increasingly playing in
peacekeeping around the world.
My visit comes at a decisive moment in the history of our hemisphere.
Never before have we had a better opportunity to have a peaceful, fully
integrated hemisphere. Never before have the relationships between the
United States and Argentina been closer. So I believe that I am not
overconfident in saying that my visit here will have an opportunity to
further strengthen the close partnership between our two countries, and
I am greatly looking forward to my visit here. Thank you very much.
An Economic Success Story
Remarks at Wal-Mart, Avellaneda, Argentina, February 29, 1996.
Buenos dias, good morning. Mr. Minister, Mr. Mayor, Mr. Ambassador, Mr.
Martin, colleagues: It is really exciting to be here this morning. I am
here on the stage surrounded by individuals from two friendly but
foreign countries: Argentina and Arkansas. I want you all to know that
it is just a coincidence that I have chosen to make this stop here at
the Wal-Mart store in Buenos Aires. It has absolutely nothing to do with
the fact that Wal-Mart is headquartered in President Clinton's home
state of Arkansas. It has nothing to do with the fact that I saw Mrs.
Alice Walton coming out of the President's office a few days ago.
Seriously, she did not know that I was coming here but she was terribly
pleased that I was going to come by and say "hello."
I particularly enjoyed my tour of the store this morning. But they did
not let me stop to look at any of the goods--they just moved me right
through. I was particularly attracted by the bicycles. Thinking of the
things I have to do today, I really think I could use a bicycle.
I particularly want to thank Minister Cavallo for being with us today.
He is one of our heroes in the United States. We credit the Minister and
President Menem with the revival of the economy here and the
transformation that has taken place. He and the President have made
Argentina one of the great economic success stories of this decade--
indeed of this century. Foreign investment has poured in; the United
States, with companies like Wal-Mart, has led the way.
I also want to acknowledge the presence of my close friend Mack McLarty.
He is the President's counselor and one of his closest advisors. He and
I became close friends when I was stationed in Little Rock, Arkansas
right after the President's campaign. I can tell you that Mack is a big
booster of Argentina. He was very instrumental in persuading me to come
here. It did not take too much arm twisting because I, in my private
life--in real life--made several trips here and I just love this city
and this country.
This store is already a huge success. It has really been an
international phenomenon. This one store sold $1 million of goods in one
day. You can see why American companies are coming here when you have
that kind of an opportunity--so long as they do a good job. Our
bilateral trade with Argentina is growing by leaps and bounds with $1.7
billion in Argentine exports to the United States last year. By the same
token, U.S. exports to Argentina are rising. It is good business for
both of us.
Companies like Wal-Mart, GTE, and Enron are providing good jobs and
great new opportunities in both our countries. Through our efforts to
open new markets and to eliminate trade barriers, the Clinton
Administration is trying to do its part to make this kind of an
investment possible and profitable.
You probably all know that this is an election year in the United States
and we are again hearing from those who say that the United States
should erect walls and shut itself off from the world. Let me assure you
we will not do that. As President Clinton said, "we must reach out and
not retreat. We have to break down walls, not build them up."
Later today, I will be meeting with President Menem, as well as my
counterpart, Foreign Minister Di Tella. In that meeting we will be
renewing our commitment to open trade and economic cooperation and to
having free trade--open trade in the entire hemisphere by the year 2005.
Let me thank you all once again for letting me join you on this very
happy occasion. This is one of the things that a Secretary of State gets
to do.
Successful investments such as this one are a real tribute not only to
the energy and skill of American business, but also to the success of
Argentina's economic reforms. So I end where I began, and that is by
complimenting President Menem and the Finance Minister for doing what
they have done to make Argentina's economy an engine for trade and
investment all through this hemisphere and particularly for the United
States. I know that Minister Cavallo would join me in saying to all of
you "Enjoy your good jobs. Work hard at them and enjoy a good life."
Thank you very much.
(###)
ARTICLE 7
Argentine Troops Join the Peacekeeping Mission in Croatia
Secretary Christopher
Remarks following review of Argentine peacekeeping forces, Buenos Aires,
Argentina, February 29, 1996
Foreign Minister Di Tella, General Diaz, distinguished guests, and
particularly members of the Argentine armed forces: It gives me great
pleasure to meet with you today at this monument honoring your country's
greatest hero. Many years ago, General San Martin galvanized the people
of this continent to fight for what he called the "American cause." It
was a struggle for individual freedom, representative government, and
political independence. It was a struggle in which soldiers took part--
not to conquer or destroy--but to enable the people of this region to
control their own destiny. In pursuit of his goal, San Martin led his
Army of the Andes across the mountains to seek the liberation of Chile
and Peru. He was committed to principles that were years ahead of their
time: impartiality, respect for civilian authority, and a determination
to leave the fate of new nations in the hands of their people.
Today at last, our times have caught up with San Martin's vision.
Freedom is ascendant throughout our hemisphere. Andean roads carry
traders, not warriors. Now Argentine soldiers are crossing oceans to
uphold the same great American cause to which their liberator dedicated
this nation. In the Persian Gulf war, in Cyprus, in Mozambique, in
Croatia, and from the very beginning of our efforts to restore democracy
to Haiti, Argentine troops and police have served with distinction. Each
time, they have done so in the cause of peace, and like San Martin, they
have always come home when their mission was done.
Today, we pay tribute to a special group of Argentine troops who are
preparing to join the new peacekeeping mission in Eastern Croatia;
there, they will bring the benefits of peace to a people who have
suffered greatly. Some of you will be joining Argentine police, fresh
from duty in Haiti, who are already performing an invaluable service
with the International Police Task Force in Bosnia. By supplying these
peacekeepers and police, Argentina is setting an example for the world.
The power of the Dayton Agreement lies in the broad international
consensus that is helping to enforce it.
When a nation thousands of miles away from a conflict volunteers to
share the risks of peace in a distant region, it sends a ripple of hope
that touches all our shores. Argentina understands that no nation can be
truly secure and prosperous if it isolates itself from the problems of
the planet. With that realization has come the admiration of the world
for Argentina.
By the service we celebrate today, you are demonstrating that
professional soldiers can play an indispensable and honorable role in a
nation that has embraced civilian, democratic government and made peace
with its neighbors. The transformation of the Argentine military is at
the heart of Argentina's transformation into a stable, modern democracy.
On behalf of the United States and me personally, because of my deep
involvement with the Dayton process, I thank you and I salute you for
your contributions. As these dedicated soldiers leave for the former
Yugoslavia, our nations are united in wishing them success in advancing
the cause of peace, and Godspeed in their safe return home.
General Diaz, Foreign Minister Di Tella: thank you for the honor and
pleasure of participating in this moving ceremony today.
(###)
ARTICLE 8
The U.S. and Argentina: Forging a Strong Global Partnership
Secretary Christopher
Remarks following discussions and signing of agreements, Buenos Aires,
Argentina, February 29, 1996
I am delighted to join Foreign Minister Di Tella here in Buenos Aires,
especially so soon after our meeting only a month ago in Washington. You
know this is a very special day; it is a day that comes only once every
four years. I hope that it won't be that long before I am back, Mr.
Minister. I think we probably need to do better than every February
29th.
The close consultations between our two countries certainly do reflect
the close ties that we developed under the Foreign Minister's leadership
and, of course, under the leadership of President Menem. When Argentina
chose the path of democracy 12 years ago, it was an inspiring victory
for the values that our nations now share. With Argentina, as with so
many other nations in Latin America, shared values have led to shared
interests. Shared interests have given rise to unprecedented cooperation
in this region and around the world--from restoring democracy in Haiti
to keeping the peace in Bosnia. Our two nations are forging a strong
global partnership with very great benefits for our people. I am pleased
to say that we have taken several steps that will significantly deepen
our cooperation in the areas that we are focusing on today.
First, we have just signed a new agreement on peaceful nuclear
cooperation. Argentina has firmly committed to the peaceful use of
nuclear energy by joining the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, entering
into a "safeguards" agreement under the Atomic Energy Agency, and
bringing into force the Treaty of Tlatelolco--the treaty that bans
nuclear weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean. Historic steps have
been taken in just the last few years. Today's agreement will pave the
way for greater cooperation between the United States Department of
Energy and its Argentine counterpart.
Second, the United States has agreed to support Argentina's entry as a
founding member of the new Wassenaar Agreement, an arrangement that
controls the export of conventional weapons and sensitive technologies.
This new agreement builds on the already strong regional leadership that
Argentina has demonstrated as the first member of the Missile Technology
Control Regime, the MTCR, outside of Europe and the United States.
Third, with the participation of NASA Administrator Dan Goldin, who has
joined us here today, we have just signed an agreement to expand our
cooperation in space. I told the Foreign Minister that NASA hopes to be
able to launch the Argentine SAC-B Satellite later this year. We had a
good discussion on that and we are also looking into the feasibility of
launching a second Argentine satellite from the space shuttle.
Fourth, I am pleased to announce that later this year, the United States
will eliminate the visa requirement for Argentine citizens traveling to
the United States temporarily for business or pleasure. This is a very
important step. Argentina is the first Latin American country to qualify
for what we call our visa waiver program. As we implement the decision
over the next several months, I am confident that our commercial and
cultural ties will deepen and strengthen even further.
We discussed a number of other important issues today. We joined in
condemning last Saturday's shoot-down of the two unarmed civilian planes
by Cuban fighters. We agree that it was a flagrant violation of
international law and, as such, is condemned by both our countries.
During our meeting, we consulted on how the United States and Argentina,
as co-guarantors under the regional Rio Protocol, can help Ecuador and
Peru reach a final settlement of their border dispute. We reaffirmed our
commitment to work together in the fight against terrorism and we
discussed ways to sustain the dramatic growth of our economic ties and
to realize the vision of the Summit of the Americas for an integrated,
prosperous, and fully democratic Western Hemisphere.
Thank you very much.
(###)
ARTICLE 9
Strengthening and Renewing The Growing U.S.-Brazil Partnership
Secretary Christopher, Brazilian Foreign Minister Lampreia
Secretary Christopher
Remarks upon arrival, Brasilia, Brazil, March 1, 1996.
It is a great pleasure for me to come to a resurgent, dynamic, and
democratic Brazil. Today marks the first visit by a U.S. Secretary of
State to Brazil since 1988, and I am very glad to be the one who is
coming. I very much welcome the opportunity to reinforce the strong
partnership that President Cardoso did so much to advance during his
successful trip to Washington last April.
In the last decade, the people of the United States have watched with
admiration the transformation--both politically and economically--that
has been made by Brazil. We have seen the end of military rule and the
consolidation of democracy. We have watched Brazil open its markets and
manage rapid economic growth while defeating inflation.
Political and economic freedom have helped our two countries forge
a strong and enduring partnership. We are the largest democracies in
the Western Hemisphere. We have a common stake in advancing open trade,
political freedom, and the rule of law in this hemisphere and beyond, as
well. We have a shared interest in resolving conflicts peacefully,
fighting the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and protecting the
global environment. By combining our strength and influence, we have a
unique capacity to make progress on all of these issues, working toward
a stable, democratic, and prosperous hemisphere.
The ties between our two nations have never been closer. This afternoon,
I will meet with President Cardoso as well as, of course, Foreign
Minister Lampreia to discuss the full range of political and economic
issues in our relationship. We will also sign two important agreements
on nuclear and space cooperation.
This visit to Brasilia is one of my three stops in Brazil. Tonight, I
will go to Sao Paulo, the core of your country's economic dynamism, and
make a speech tomorrow on the market and democratic transformations in
Brazil. On Sunday, I will go to Manaus to visit the National Institute
on Amazon Research. This visit will give me an opportunity to highlight
the growing importance of our joint efforts--which we call our Common
Agenda--to protect the environment and promote sustainable development
in the region.
My visit comes at a decisive moment in the history of our hemisphere,
and I greatly look forward to this chance to be in, at least a small
part of this vast and beautiful country. I look forward to strengthen
and renew the growing partnership between the United States and Brazil.
Thank you very much for coming out to meet me.
Secretary Christopher, Foreign Minister Lampreia
Opening remarks at a press conference upon signing bilateral agreements,
Brasilia, Brazil, March 1, 1996.
Secretary Christopher. Good afternoon. It has been a great pleasure to
meet here today with my friend, Foreign Minister Lampreia. We are
certainly fortunate to be here in this beautiful city and to have an
opportunity to have the harmonious, constructive meeting we have had
here today. This enables us to advance what President Cardoso proposed
in Washington last April--a new affirmative agenda that will bring our
countries closer together.
As you can see, the Foreign Minister and I have just been involved in
the signing of two important documents. The one that was signed by our
colleagues was an agreement on peaceful nuclear cooperation which
will allow Brazil to purchase nuclear materials and reactor components
from the United States. The second, a space cooperation agreement which
we signed in the presence of NASA Administrator Dan Goldin, will expand
our cooperation in space and give us new tools to help various
industries in our country, including agriculture and fisheries, as well
as enable us to be more effective in protecting our environment.
These agreements are possible at this time because our two countries
share a commitment to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction.
They follow and depend upon Brazil's decision to adopt full-scale
nuclear safeguards in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy
Agency. Brazil has joined the Missile Technology Control Regime--MTCR,
and it has taken steps to bring into force the treaty that bans nuclear
weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean through the Treaty of
Tlatelolco.
In today's discussions, I underscored the importance that we attach to
Brazil joining the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. We also expressed
the hope that we can join in achieving a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
this year. As part of our efforts to promote peace in the region, we
agreed to intensify our work together as co-guarantors of the Rio
Protocol so as to encourage a final settlement between Peru and Ecuador
in their border dispute. I congratulate the Minister on the very strong
and instrumental role Brazil has played in enabling the parties to meet
and begin to work through their differences.
We discussed ways to advance our cooperation against international
criminals. I thank the Minister for Brazil's recent efforts to stop the
flow of illegal narcotics, and we discussed additional ways to cooperate
in the future. We also discussed how to expand free trade and deepen our
commercial ties. I told the Minister that the United States applauds
MERCOSUL for expanding trade and investment in South America. At the
same time, I expressed my view that it is vital that Brazil
energetically contribute to carrying out the Miami Summit's goal of free
trade in this hemisphere, as a whole, by the year 2005. We have talked
about the importance of our cooperating in connection with the upcoming
Cartagena ministerial meeting.
We talked briefly about intellectual property protection, and I
congratulated the Minister on the successful effort that President
Cardoso's Administration made to secure passage in the Brazilian Senate
yesterday of a modern patent law, a piece of legislation that will--
augmented by protection in the copyright and software field--strongly
enhance Brazil's ability to enhance investments in the high-technology
sector.
Finally, we talked about ways to expand the U.S.-Brazil Common Agenda on
science and the environment, a topic that I will be discussing further
the day after tomorrow in Manaus. So I would say our meetings today were
both harmonious and constructive, and I look forward to working with
Minister Lampreia in the months ahead.
Foreign Minister Lampreia. Mr. Secretary of State, ladies and
gentlemen: I am also very pleased to say that we have had a very
positive meeting, which I think is the reflection of the excellent state
of our bilateral relations. In fact, one could characterize our
relations, above all, by mutual respect and consideration, and, most
frequently, although not necessarily, by great agreement and a shared
way of seeing things. This enables us now to transfer items that
sometime ago were on the negative side of our agenda to the positive
side. It is widely known that the nuclear cooperation, for example, is
now possible only because we could overcome very deep differences we
have had in the past. Regarding this aspect, I believe it is important
to say that Brazil feels itself fully committed to the non-proliferation
cause, having taken upon itself the most serious judicial and political
commitments. On the other hand, Brazil also shares the concern expressed
by the Secretary of State aiming at the prompt conclusion of a nuclear
Test Ban Treaty, and take it as an essential element to the
international aspirations regarding the suppression of tests.
Also, we applaud the space cooperation agreement. Again, it is another
example of transferring a point from the negative side of our agenda to
the positive side. We have a series of very important projects. The NASA
Administrator has spoken to us about them, and he will maintain, with
the Minister of Mines and Energy, several important conversations about
them. Once again, I have pointed out to the Secretary of State the
interest Brazil has in counting on United States cooperation with the
Brazilian space program, including the full usage of the space base--
aerospace base--in Alcantara. I had a positive indication regarding this
matter.
Regarding the Peru-Ecuador conflict, we share the same point of view. We
are both convinced that we played a decisive role in bringing the two
nations together, and we are committed to do what is possible to
continue. In the specific case of Brazil, which will have the honor to
host the Ministers from Ecuador and Peru for their direct talks, we will
do whatever we can to promote agreement and accord between these two
countries. With respect to the Miami Summit and the next ministerial
meeting in Cartagena, I also had the occasion to stress to the Secretary
of State the efforts of the Brazilian Government to implement the
decisions our chiefs of state made in Miami in December 1994--our
commitment to seriously work toward achieving the summit's objectives,
the agreement of the Americas Free Trade Zone, both of which will have
an important impetus in the Cartagena meeting. I should also say that
Brazil takes this question so seriously that we have volunteered--and I
hope everybody agrees on that--to hold the 1997 meeting in Belo
Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais State.
On the other hand, regarding the patents law, I make note of the
Secretary of State's comments. The Brazilian Government is, of course,
very happy with the passing of this bill. I publicly compliment Senator
Fernando Bezerra, who has reported this matter and who has so seriously
analyzed this subject, saying that we are sincerely convinced that this
decision from the Senate will greatly contribute to help Brazil in
completing a patent law according to the best international standards
and to the commitments Brazil has taken upon itself before the World
Trade Organization.
Finally, the environmental issue: I told the Secretary of State that the
Brazilian Government is also strongly concerned with environmental
matters and that, particularly, we desire that the commitments stated at
the 21st Agenda and the 1992 Rio conference be totally complied with. In
order to do this, the Brazilian Government is very interested that an
appraisal be conducted, possibly at the year end meeting in Santa Cruz,
or next year, when five years will have elapsed since the 1992 Rio
conference. We want a thorough appraisal telling us how far we have come
and what we have done, in order to comply with what had been agreed on
in what has been the largest conference of chiefs of state in our time,
and a meeting that has certainly been able to galvanize international
attention.
(###)
ARTICLE 10
U.S.-Brazil Launch Common Agenda On the Environment
Secretary Christopher
Remarks at the National Institute on Amazon Research, Manaus, Brazil,
March 3, 1996
Thank you. This institute has been collaborating for many years with our
Smithsonian Institution to study the impact of human behavior on the
rain forest. I want to acknowledge my colleague here from Washington,
Thomas Lovejoy of the Smithsonian Institution, who has helped to launch
here what has been called the largest biological experiment in history.
I am here today because the United States recognizes that protecting the
environment is essential to the health, security, and prosperity, not
only of the American people, but people all around the world. Nowhere is
the importance of the environment more apparent than here in the Amazon.
Its rain forests are absolutely unique and an irreplaceable resource.
They are a sharp reminder of the responsibility that all of our nations
share to promote economic development in a way that also safeguards our
environmental resources.
At the very important Rio summit five years ago, we forged a global
commitment to pursue sustainable development, to cooperate on climate
change and biodiversity, and to take responsibility for the sound
management of our forests. That commitment on sustainable development is
an essential component of the Declaration of Principles that our 34
democracies adopted at the Miami summit in late 1994. Our nation will
advance this Miami consensus through the commitment that we make on the
sustainable development summit which will take place in Bolivia later
this year.
Here in Brazil, President Cardoso has launched an admirable and
ambitious national effort to clean Brazil's skies and to preserve its
forests. President Cardoso has used Brazil's great influence to spur
environmental cooperation between developed and developing countries
around the world.
People of this city know better than anyone else that the resources of
the rain forest--your resources--hold untold promise, from rubber trees
and rosewood, to exotic fruits and flavors and fragrances. The rain
forest yields products of great value. Modern science is discovering new
uses for the ancient riches of the rain forest. Curare--a poison used by
tribes in the Amazon--is the source of the primary anesthetic used in
abdominal surgery in hospitals from Brasilia to Boston.
The Amazon is estimated to house more than 25% of all biological
diversity. When we preserve plant and animal species, we save resources
and potentially valuable scientific information, including genetic
material that can unlock the cure for deadly diseases. On the other
hand, when we lose species, we lose them for all time. The choices that
we are making every day reverberate for generations to come.
Five days ago in San Salvador, I met with business people and
researchers who are working with the United States to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions. If tropical forests are carelessly burned or destroyed,
it can accelerate the build-up of these dangerous heat-trapping gases,
which can affect climate and rainfall around the world, causing billions
of dollars of crop losses and damage to property.
From the very beginning of the Clinton Administration, we recognized the
impact that damage to the environment can have on our strategic
interests. On the other hand, when we work to solve environmental
problems, we also advance our broader strategic goals. Working closely
with Vice President Gore, I instructed the State Department last month
to fully integrate environmental issues into U.S. foreign policy and to
improve the way we use our diplomacy to advance sustainable development
and other environmental objectives. I am determined to put environmental
goals exactly where they belong--in the mainstream of American foreign
policy.
Here in Brazil, our two nations are deepening our cooperation on the
environment by launching an ambitious Common Agenda, which will be
carried forward by Under Secretary Wirth's visit next month.
We are transforming sustainable development from an abstract challenge
to a concrete agenda. For example, the space cooperation agreement that
Foreign Minister Lampreia and I signed two days ago will enable us to
use our technology to spur sustainable development in the Amazon. To
take another example of cooperation between Brazilian and American
researchers, places like this institute are allowing us to combine our
efforts in new and more effective ways.
Like the two great rivers that meet at this remarkable location to form
the mighty Amazon River, our two countries are joining forces to form a
strong, new partnership on behalf of the environment. And just as the
Amazon has given life to a region of great wealth and diversity, this
new partnership will confer great benefits on the people of both Brazil
and the United States.
(###)
ARTICLE 11
Strengthening the Relationship Between the United States and Trinidad
and Tobago
Secretary Christopher, Trinidadian Prime Minister Panday
Arrival Remarks
Remarks upon arrival, Trinidad and Tobago, Piarco, Trinidad, West
Indies, March 3, 1996.
Secretary Christopher. Mr. Prime Minister, ladies and gentlemen: Let me
say, Mr. Prime Minister, I have already discovered your warmth and
hospitality, and I am delighted by it. I must say, the champion steel
band--the AMOCO Renegades--has made us feel very welcome here. I am very
glad they found the energy to come out and do this so soon after
Carnival. Not only that, but the fact that virtually the entire Cabinet
and their wives are here to greet us tonight is a measure of the welcome
that we are receiving. I am very grateful to all of you for having
turned out.
This is the last stop on a five-country trip that began in El Salvador
and went on to Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. Democratic governments and
open markets are bringing stability and prosperity to those countries.
Now this extraordinary progress extends to the Caribbean--and nowhere is
it more apparent than here in Trinidad and Tobago. The success that we
see here in meeting the challenges of a multi-ethnic democracy and the
economic reform that has lifted your people is a very stirring thing to
watch and hear about. As a result of the progress you have made here,
the partnership between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago has
never been stronger.
As the Prime Minister said, tomorrow we will take several steps in the
fight against drug dealers and money launderers who would subvert
democracy by corruption and violence. The Prime Minister and I will sign
treaties on extradition and mutual legal assistance and an agreement on
maritime law enforcement. The obligations that we have, I think, will be
easier to carry out in light of those new steps. Our delegation also
will dedicate four new high-speed boats that the U.S. Customs Service is
providing to Trinidad to strengthen its ability to catch criminals and
to stop narcotics shipments.
Trinidad's economy, already the fastest-growing in the Eastern
Caribbean, is a very strong magnet for foreign investment. Our
delegation and the Prime Minister will inaugurate new investments by the
United States that will reinforce our role as the country's leading
investor and also will support growth throughout the entire Caribbean.
We also are going to be discussing new ways that we can deepen the
cooperation between the United States and the nations of the Caribbean
as a whole. By helping to restore democracy to Haiti through CARICOM,
the Caribbean countries--including Trinidad-- have played a vital role
in consolidating freedom's triumph in our own hemisphere and in
restoring democracy, which so badly needed to be done. I think it is a
signal event that CARICOM joined the United States in providing troops
to accomplish that.
This visit will strengthen what we have already achieved, and I am
delighted to be able to spend a few hours here. I only wish it were
more, and I am very appreciative of the spirited welcome that I received
from the steel band and the very, very warm welcome that I received from
the Prime Minister and his entire Cabinet. We are going to have a good
evening and a good morning tomorrow, and I thank you very much for all
turning out.
Prime Minister Panday. Honorable Secretary of State, Mr. Warren
Christopher and Mrs. Christopher; Honorable Members of the Cabinet of
Trinidad and Tobago; your Excellency, the Ambassador of the United
States to Trinidad and Tobago; your Excellency, the Ambassador of
Trinidad and Tobago to the United States; members of the delegation of
the United States; distinguished ladies and gentlemen: On behalf of the
Government and people of Trinidad and Tobago, it is my honor and
pleasure to welcome you, Mr. Secretary, and your delegation to our twin-
island republic.
It is a momentous occasion for us when someone as distinguished as
yourself, representing the Government of the United States of America,
pays an official visit to Trinidad and Tobago. The last occasion of an
official visit by a United States Secretary of State to Trinidad and
Tobago was in 1977 when Mr. Cyrus Vance was here. We, therefore, view
your presence here today as an important and timely step in the
evolution of the long-standing relationship and friendship we enjoy with
the United States.
For Trinidad and Tobago, the United States of America constitutes the
largest market for our exports and also our most powerful ally in the
struggle for the promotion of democracy, economic freedom, and defense
of human rights. We in Trinidad and Tobago have drawn so much by way of
ideas, assistance, economic partnership, technology transfers, and other
forms of mutual support from the United States. We are, indeed, very
grateful.
I know that we will be utilizing the time available to us to advance a
number of bilateral priority matters including cooperation in our
relentless fight against the menace of the drug trade and all its
related criminal activities. Time does not permit an extensive program
which would have afforded you and Mrs. Christopher and the members of
your delegation a full opportunity to sample the richness and diversity
of our cultural heritage of which we are so proud. We hope,
nevertheless, that your visit will be a fruitful and memorable one.
Indeed, Mr. Secretary, I very much hope that despite the briefness of
your stay with us, you will have the opportunity to discover the warmth
and hospitality of our people and our zest for life. Mr. Secretary of
State, once more, welcome to Trinidad and Tobago, and thank you for
visiting us.
Visit Overview
Opening remarks at a press conference, Port of Spain, Trinidad and
Tobago, March 4, 1996.
Secretary Christopher. Thank you. Mr. Ambassador, Mr. Prime Minister,
and Mr. Attorney General: I was very pleased to have had a chance this
morning to meet with President Hassanali and to meet with Prime Minister
Panday and his Cabinet--his top officials. Their strong commitment to
democratic government, to open markets, and to regional integration has
lifted the lives of the people of Trinidad and Tobago and made this
country a model for the rest of the Caribbean.
Today's meeting, although a brief one, has given us an opportunity to
strengthen and make even closer the relationship between the United
States and Trinidad. We took several steps here today to intensify our
fight against drug traffickers. As you just have heard, we signed two
treaties and concluded an agreement. I want to thank the lady for
explaining so clearly the importance of the three documents that we
signed today. They move us a major step forward, and I have been told
that the fact that all three of these pacts are now in effect puts
Trinidad and Tobago in an unusual category.
Later today, I will participate in the transfer from the United States
to Trinidad and Tobago of four high-speed boats that will strengthen its
capacity to deal with the drug traffickers. I think it is quite symbolic
that, on the one hand, we have these three important legal documents,
and, on the other hand, we have the practical side of transferring four
fast boats to help with the interdiction of the drug traffickers. This
is, of course, part of the larger effort that we are making both at home
and overseas to fight drug trafficking.
The Prime Minister and I had a good chance to talk in the car on the way
in from the airport last night and then, in meetings this morning, we
emphasized the drug issues, and we talked about a number of other issues
as well. We discussed the importance of sustaining the market reforms
here that have made Trinidad and Tobago the fastest-growing economy in
the eastern Caribbean. Later today, our delegation will help launch
additional American investments that are part of almost $2 billion in
planned ventures here over the next several years.
The United States looks to Trinidad and Tobago and the CARICOM partners
to participate fully, as they have been, in the efforts to carry forward
the agreements and commitments made at the Miami Summit to move forward
with more open trade and more regional integration. Trinidad is a strong
example to all of its Caribbean neighbors.
I told the Prime Minister of the congratulations that President Clinton
asked me to give on your participation in the successful endeavor in
Haiti. As you know, a Trinidadian was the commander of the CARICOM group
at the outset of CARICOM's presence in Haiti, and that has been a much-
remembered contribution. I am sure that the people of Trinidad and
Tobago can take great satisfaction and pride in your part in that
endeavor.
So, all in all, I have had a very fascinating short visit here, one that
has deepened our cooperation, one that has enabled us to discuss not
only the narcotics issues but the issues of democracy, economic reform,
and the desire of this country to move forward into a closer
relationship with the United States. We have talked of some practical
things we might do. I am going to be taking home with me a sense of the
importance of Trinidad and Tobago but also some practical things that I
hope we can do to assist them in their fight against crime and
narcotics. Thank you very much.
Prime Minister Panday. Mr. Secretary of State, ladies and gentlemen: The
three agreements which Secretary of State Christopher and I just signed
are part of a program in which both the Governments of Trinidad and
Tobago and of the United States of America are committed to taking all
measures necessary to deal with the illegal drug trade in all its
ramifications. Everyone is undoubtedly aware of the harmful effects
which drug consumption, illegal trafficking in drugs, and money
laundering have on individual victims, the administration of justice,
the stability of the financial and commercial system and, indeed, on the
very fabric of society.
Through joint efforts between our two governments in programs such as
Weedeater I and II, we have made substantial headway in eradicating
marijuana production in Trinidad. Moreover, voluntary reporting by
banks, following the enactment of legislation making money laundering an
offense, as well as the work of the Caribbean Financial Action Task
Force based here in Trinidad and Tobago, has begun to deal with the
issue of the laundering of proceeds derived from illicit drug
trafficking activities.
The three international legal instruments which we have just signed will
facilitate closer cooperation in the suppression of criminal activities
and will strengthen the hand of our law enforcement agencies in dealing
with this intractable problem.
The first of these agreements is the new extradition treaty based on
well-recognized principals of law and practice which will facilitate the
extradition of persons found in one jurisdiction who are wanted for
crimes committed in the other or for the purpose of enforcing a
sentence. This treaty will replace the 1931 United Kingdom-United States
of America treaty which Trinidad and Tobago and the United States of
America can currently apply in their extradition relations. This new and
up-to-date agreement will make the extradition process much more
effective. Accordingly, perpetrators of crime will be brought more
swiftly to justice before the courts of the country where the offenses
have been committed.
The second treaty, on mutual assistance in criminal matters, will enable
us to accord each other the widest measure of mutual legal assistance in
investigations, prosecutions, and judicial proceedings that relate to
criminal offenses through taking up evidence from persons; effecting
service of judicial documents; executing searches and seizures;
providing information and evidentiary items; providing originals or
certified copies of relevant documents and records; and assisting in the
proceedings relating to the restraint, confiscation, and/or forfeiture
of assets. The international character of organized criminal activities
demands that governments collaborate fully in this area. Under this
agreement, all relevant documentary evidence and testimony can be made
readily available to the courts engaged in conducting trials of persons
accused of illicit trafficking in drugs, money laundering, and other
serious criminal offenses.
Finally, our two governments have taken steps to bring about increased
cooperation in the suppression of illicit trafficking of drugs by sea
through the signature of an agreement on maritime counter-drug
operations. Our geographical proximity to major drug producing and
transit states presents a formidable challenge to the limited physical
and human resources of our sea-going law enforcement agencies. There are
those who would make of us a major drug trans-shipment point, bringing
with that, as it does, the real possibility of increased domestic
consumption of drugs, illicit trafficking in arms and ammunition, and
the commission of heinous drug-related offenses. It is therefore my
government's strong desire that an effective program of interdiction of
illicit trafficking of drugs by sea be mounted under this agreement to
demonstrate unequivocally that we are equal to the challenge and that we
are prepared to defend our country and the lives and health of our
peoples from this insidious activity. Mr. Secretary of State, my
government is aware of the long, powerful, and brutal arm of the drug
lords and the drug Mafia. It is well known that through their
sophisticated system of money laundering, they have been able to set up
what appear to be legitimate fronts in almost every aspect of the
business world--fronts which they use to undermine, weaken, and destroy
governments which they perceive to be inimical to their interests.
My government has no doubt that we have made it unequivocally clear that
we are determined to engage in relentless battles against this infamous
drug trade and that every effort will be made by the drug lords we know
and their agents to undermine and destroy this government. But I assure
you, sir, we shall not be deterred.
Mr. Secretary of State, ladies and gentlemen: The Government of Trinidad
and Tobago looks forward to increased cooperation and collaboration with
the Government of the United States of America in our interdiction
efforts and in bringing to trial persons engaged in drug trafficking and
money laundering.
Thank you, Mr. Secretary of State, for your historic visit, and thank
you and the Government of the United States of America for your generous
assistance in this onerous task. Thank you, sir, and may God bless you.
(###)
ARTICLE 12
U.S. Relations With Trinidad and Tobago: A Record of Investment And
Economic Cooperation
Trinidadian Prime Minister Basdeo Panday, U.S. Ambassador Brian
Donnelly, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Alexander Watson, and U.S.
Ambassador to the OAS Hattie Babbitt
Remarks at the Point Lisas Industrial Complex, Point Lisas, Trinidad and
Tobago, March 4, 1996
Prime Minister Panday. Mr. Chairman, Assistant Secretary of State, our
kind hosts, colleagues, Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and
gentlemen: Mr. Assistant Secretary, it is indeed a singular privilege
and honor for me to add a few words to welcome you to Point Lisas,
flagship of our industrialization and development program.
I also wish to take the opportunity to thank you for the complimentary
remarks made by the Honorable Secretary of State, who, unfortunately,
had to leave us to attend to urgent business at home. I find these
remarks most encouraging. Indeed, I find it gratifying to learn that
your administration is in favor of legislation granting Caribbean Basin
Initiative countries expanded trade preferences.
While we await your administration's "fast-tracking" of our bid to enter
NAFTA, we look forward to these new benefits, which we hope will
compensate for the erosion of CBI preferences occasioned by the NAFTA
agreement.
We in Trinidad and Tobago have been associated with American investors
for decades, and following our far-reaching review of our foreign
investment policy and legislation and the liberalization of our trade
and investment regime, the list of foreign companies doing business or
seeking to do business in Trinidad and Tobago is growing all the time.
The United States continues to be the largest and most diversified
foreign investor in Trinidad and Tobago. Apart from being major
investors in the petroleum, natural gas, and petrochemical sectors of
our economy, U.S. companies are involved in the manufacturing and
services sectors in areas such as hotels, banking, and transportation,
to name a few.
I understand that Trinidad and Tobago ranks second only to Canada on a
per capita basis in terms of U.S. foreign investment and is among the
top 12 countries in the world in this regard. We appreciate the
confidence that U.S. investors are demonstrating in the future of our
country. Indeed, we expect an early conclusion to negotiations for
projects in which substantial investment by U.S. companies is
anticipated. One may well ask what it is that attracts so many U.S.
investors to Trinidad and Tobago. Our assets include many ingredients: A
stable democracy; a highly skilled and literate population; a very open
and liberalized economy; a well-developed infrastructure; highly
competitive [inaudible] of production; and other comparative advantages,
for example, a highly skilled labor force, a healthy industrial
relations climate, and an abundance of relatively inexpensive energy. In
addition, Trinidad and Tobago is ideally geographically situated.
Moreover, our size, stage of development, and the vibrancy of our people
provide added attraction for the potential investor. It is, therefore,
not surprising that U.S. investors have been attracted to these shores--
after all, although we are a much younger nation in terms of our
respective years of independence, we have a legacy of common historical
ties and experiences. We speak the same language, we share the same
legal systems, we cherish the same values, and respect the basic human
rights and freedoms of our citizens, and we, too, are a melting pot of
peoples from many different regions of the world.
Our trade statistics show clearly that the United States is our largest
market for goods and services and also our largest supplier. About 41%
of our visible exports go to the United States and about 49% of our
imports come from there.
In the context of United States-Trinidad and Tobago relations, we have a
number of important multilateral and bilateral agreements which enhance
the investment climate. We have already negotiated a Tax Information
Exchange Agreement, a Double Taxation Agreement, a Bilateral Investment
Promotion and Protection Agreement, and a Bilateral Intellectual
Property Rights Agreement. We are also actively participating in the
preparatory process of the Free Trade Area of the Americas--the FTAA--
which we do hope to realize by the year 2005. As with your country, we
also attach great significance to the rights of workers and likewise to
the environment. We endeavor to operate a tripartite system whereby
labor, employers, and government work together to ensure that the
interest of the country is paramount and pursued in harmony.
In relation to the environment, we recently passed an environment
management act and constituted the Environmental Management Agency--the
EMA. The EMA is currently engaged in the process of submitting
subsidiary legislation to ensure that the various economic activities in
the country are compatible with the needs for sustainable development.
All in all, Mr. Assistant Secretary, the prospects for even more
fruitful cooperation between our two countries are clearly excellent.
Your visit has further enhanced these prospects in very concrete ways,
and for this I thank you and the members of your delegation.
Let me close, Assistant Secretary Watson, by expressing my personal
appreciation for the visit of the Secretary of State and for the cordial
interaction which we have had and which I am sure will redound to the
mutual benefit of both our countries. Thank you very much.
Ambassador Donnelly. Mr. Prime Minister, distinguished members of the
Cabinet, Members of Parliament, Assistant Secretary Watson, Ambassador
Babbitt, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen: It gives me great
pleasure to welcome you this morning to this ceremony on behalf of the
Government of the United States. It is regrettable that Secretary
Christopher had to shorten his program in Trinidad and Tobago due to the
situation in the Middle East. The Prime Minister and I have just seen
him off at the airport. I can assure you that he was very sorry that he
was not able to be here in person. He asked me to convey his personal
regrets and, at the same time, his best wishes for the continued success
of this AmCham and for the success of the ceremony this morning.
However, we are very fortunate to have Assistant Secretary of State
Alexander Watson here with us this morning. In addition, Ambassador
Hattie Babbitt, the U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization of
American States, has also agreed to stay here in Trinidad and Tobago and
to speak with you this afternoon. It has actually been a long time
indeed since the U.S. embassy has been able to welcome such a high-
powered and senior delegation to Trinidad and Tobago, a country with
which we have enjoyed close political, economic, and cultural ties since
its independence. Their presence here today underlines the importance
the United States places on its relationship with Trinidad and Tobago.
This relationship, while always cordial, has received a substantial
boost in recent years from our growing commercial ties. Since 1990,
Trinidad and Tobago has sent 48% of its exports to the U.S. and, in
turn, the United States has supplied well over 40% of Trinidad's
imports, and that figure is growing rapidly. On the investment side, the
figures are even more impressive. Outsiders who don't know Trinidad and
Tobago might find it hard to believe that by one measure, Trinidad now
ranks second in the hemisphere in per capita U.S. direct investment and
in the top 12 of countries worldwide. I might also add that Trinidad and
Tobago is near the top in the hemisphere in per capita GDP and in
international credit rating.
The main reason for this success is simple--and one that the United
States has been preaching for many years: sound macroeconomic policies
leading to a positive investment climate and a liberal trade regime.
Trinidad and Tobago has benefited from this, the region has benefited,
and the United States has benefited. We are delighted that the
government of Prime Minister Panday has endorsed these policies.
The Summit of the Americas in Miami in 1994 institutionalized these
changes by bringing together for the first time the leaders of every
democratically elected nation in this hemisphere in a spirit of mutual
understanding and cooperation. As the summit recognized, for the first
time in history, a consensus of the Americas has been formed. Open
markets work. Democratic governments are just. Together, they offer the
best hope for people's lives.
At the summit, hemispheric leaders called for increased development of
energy sectors--not in a blind race for increased energy production at
any cost but in a sustainable manner friendly to the environment.
Improved access to clean, economic, market-priced energy sources is a
critical aspect of hemispheric development. The summit also recognized
the need to increase trade and financing that can affect large energy
investments. The financing many of the firms represented here today have
used is a good example.
Leaders at the summit recognized that universal access to safe, clean,
economical, and environmentally sound energy is a critical building
block for national sustainable development. So it is indeed fitting for
representatives of the U.S. Government to come together here at Point
Lisas Industrial Estate with the leaders of Trinidad and Tobago's
Government, energy sector, and industry. I hope our presence here today
will advance our common goals--U.S. investments here in Trinidad and
Tobago.
Around you are Arcadian's three ammonia plants and [inaudible] plant.
Behind me, you may not be able to see, but there is Nuror's iron carbide
plant. Close by lies the site of a proposed Cleveland Cliffs iron
carbide plant and of a methanol plant by the Saturn Corporation. Further
south in the estate, Phoenix Park has an important gas processing plant,
and further down the coast in La Brea, Mississippi Chemical is close to
breaking ground on its [inaudible] plant. Finally, Atlantic LNG has
selected Point Fortin for the site of its liquefied natural gas plant--a
total investment of about $1.4 billion. And this is not to mention
Amoco's huge investment in oil and gas production and exploration and
similar efforts by Enron, Texaco, Conoco, and other U.S. firms. When you
add up all the U.S. companies selling and producing products in Trinidad
and Tobago--from IBM and Coca-Cola to Colgate- Palmolive--the Trinidad
and Tobago business directory really reads like the Who's Who of
corporate America.
So the future of economic relations between the United States and
Trinidad and Tobago looks very bright indeed. I can promise you that the
United States embassy in Port of Spain will foster that relationship
wherever possible. This is one of the main reasons for Secretary of
State Christopher's visit to Trinidad and Tobago, and this is the reason
for the presence this morning of Assistant Secretary of State Alexander
Watson.
Alexander Watson is one of our most distinguished diplomats in the
United States. He has enjoyed a 34-year career in the Department of
State, serving in the Dominican Republic, Spain, Brazil, Bolivia, and
Colombia.
He has been our ambassador to Peru and was the U.S. Deputy
Representative to the United Nations. Since 1993, he has been the
Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs and, as such,
oversees U.S. relations with all of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am extremely honored and humbled to present to
you this morning Assistant Secretary of State, the Honorable Alex
Watson.
Assistant Secretary Watson. Mr. Prime Minister, Ambassador Donnelly,
Ambassador Babbitt, ministers and other distinguished members of the
Government of Trinidad and Tobago, Ambassador McKnight, President Evans,
Mr. McMinn, ladies and gentlemen: I know that despite that warm welcome,
you are all disappointed that Secretary Christopher is not here. He,
too, is disappointed, but events in the Middle East made it necessary
for him to return home. I am very glad to be here today for this
ceremony highlighting American investment in Trinidad and Tobago.
Ambassador Babbitt's and my presence here is a tribute to Trinidad's
record of sound economic policies and the interest of American investors
in the Caribbean.
Bold economic reforms have given Trinidad the region's most liberal
trade and investment policies and an outstanding investment climate.
Substantial increases in trade and investment have made it the biggest
market of the region and brought the quadrupling of U.S. investment over
the last four years.
The American investment we are highlighting was attracted by these
policies. The $280-million Arcadian ammonia plant, which we will be
inaugurating, is only one of these investments. There are many other
projects in the pipeline, including the Atlantic LNG plant and major
petrochemical investments by Saturn, Cleveland Cliffs, and Farmland
MissChem, not to mention ongoing investments by Nucor, Amoco, Enron,
Texaco, Conoco, and others mentioned by Ambassador Donnelly. Trinidad
and Tobago has, in fact become one of the top U.S. investment sites in
the hemisphere. This brings substantial revenue to the Government of
Trinidad and helps create jobs and support industries.
The Clinton Administration is committed to advancing the interests of
American workers, exporters, and investors as we work to develop more
open trade and investment relations with the countries of the Caribbean.
From the most senior adviser to the most junior career officer, my
colleagues at the State Department know there is no more important task
than sitting behind what Secretary Christopher calls the "America Desk,"
short- hand for our effort to ensure that our business people can
compete and win on a level, fair, and open playing field.
American business has made a good start here in Trinidad and Tobago. We
will make more strides together as we work toward the goals of the
Summit of the Americas, including a Free Trade Area of the Americas by
2005. The Clinton Administration will shortly introduce legislation to
provide the Caribbean Basin Initiative countries with expanded trade
preferences, ensuring that Trinidad and Tobago industry can continue to
thrive as regional trade develops.
The people of Trinidad have brought pragmatism and flexibility to the
challenges of developing a strong economy in the age of globalization.
Your efforts have paid off in a climate that encourages foreign
investment and industrial diversification, while permitting attention to
other concerns, such as the environment. As President Clinton has said,
we do not have to accept the false choice between development and
protecting the environment. One good example of this is the Point a
Pierre Wildfowl Trust just south of here. To find a 60-acre bird
sanctuary right next to Trinidad's major refinery really highlights
how industrial development can coexist with environmental protection.
Economic development must be sustainable, especially in an island
country. Consuming our ecological capital would be a bankrupt economic
strategy. American corporations, including many of those represented
here today, are world leaders in protecting the environment and in the
development and use of environmental technology, demonstrating that
production techniques can be adapted to minimize damage to the
environment.
Trinidad and Tobago is blessed with unique biological diversity, from
sea turtles to rare species of birds and plants. This is not only your
heritage but also the world's heritage, as demonstrated by the
increasing number of ecotourists visiting your islands. I wish your new
Environmental Management Agency well in preserving your riches.
The partnership between entrepreneurs and officials in both the United
States and Trinidad and Tobago has created jobs and opportunities for
U.S. companies and workers. It is helping Trinidad's economy thrive and
making it an increasingly important partner of the United States. I look
forward, as we develop free and fair trade throughout the hemisphere, to
making those partnerships even stronger. Thank you again for having me
here today.
Ambassador Babbitt. Mr. Prime Minister, distinguished members of the
government, ladies and gentlemen: Assistant Secretary Watson and
Ambassador Donnelly have highlighted the impressive record of investment
and economic cooperation between Trinidad and Tobago and the United
States. I would like to expand on that theme and address hemispheric
integration in general--an issue with which I have been involved at the
Organization of American States--and energy issues in particular, since
we are here at Point Lisas.
Pursuing economic integration in the hemisphere is one of President
Clinton's priority goals. The President has pursued a building-block
process, one step at a time, which has added up to a comprehensive
strategy to defeat protectionist instincts in our country. By
maintaining high external barriers, governments do not lock out
problems. Rather, they lock up their own citizens' talents and
initiative. With the help of creative, resourceful, and forward-looking
government leaders and private sector investors such as those assembled
here today, all the nations of the region will succeed.
We truly have embarked upon a historic period in hemispheric relations.
When historians look back on the 1990s, they will be struck by the
ongoing, quiet revolution which occurred to bring about systems of
governance and economies which increase individual freedoms and support
the dignity of the person. Voters and consumers are now king. Choice
fostered by free market competition--both political and economic--is
leading to increased prosperity throughout the hemisphere.
(###)
[END DISPATCH VOL 7, NO 10]
(###)
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