The Summit of the Americas: implementation work program - Thomas F. McLarty III, Counselor to the President and Secretary of State for the Summit of the Americas, May 23, 1995 - Transcript

US Department of State Dispatch, May 29, 1995

When I was asked by the President and the Secretary of State earlier this spring to be their Special Representative to the hemisphere, I was honored - knowing that one of my privileges in this position would be to address organizations like the Council of the Americas that have made a real contribution and a real difference over the years. I am particularly pleased to be able to address your 25th Washington Conference today. I want to say at the outset that I have only the highest regard for this outstanding organization and for its mentor and founder David Rockefeller, who has done so much to promote understanding within and throughout the hemisphere.

As the President commented when we were visiting about this this morning, the State of Arkansas has a long and productive history with the Rockefeller family. Many of you may recall that Winthrop Rockefeller was governor there for four years in the late 1960s, leaving a rich and lasting legacy. David is someone I admire greatly. It is not an exaggeration to say that his work for many, many years has laid a foundation for the hemispheric architecture which we are in the process of building in a spirit of bipartisanship and mutual respect.

I am also pleased to see so many other familiar faces here today: John Avery, Ambassador Ted Briggs, Susan Kaufman Purcell, Kim Flower, and others. Your long experience in the region and sage advice have brought the council continued success. Your contributions to the Summit of the Americas last December in Miami were critical. You helped us shape the agenda and provided counsel and insight we simply would not have had without your involvement. I personally appreciate your efforts, as do the President and Secretary of State.

Hemispheric Interests

Linked to Domestic Interests

From the beginning of his Administration, President Clinton has laid out a series of foreign policy goals: remaining firm in our commitments to building greater security; spreading democracy; and ushering in a new age of open markets and prosperity across the world. These pillars of foreign policy are grounded in the reality that fluctuations in the global economy have direct consequences for the American economy and jobs at home. I'm sure you would agree that in order to project economic and strategic power in the international arena, we must first have a strong and growing economy domestically.

As the President has said time and time again, we are working on the economic fundamentals, just as progressive, reforming governments in the hemisphere are doing. The President's program stresses putting our financial house in order so as not to mortgage our children's futures; highlighting job creation as a means to expand our middle class and allow full participation of our society in ever-higher levels of economic activity; encouraging a longer term economic perspective through savings and investment, in particular investment in human capital through education and training, and expansion of markets through aggressive pursuit of international trading opportunities.

This hemisphere is a natural ally in our efforts. To this end, the President has devoted considerable energy and demonstrated consistent commitment to improving the economic and political health of countries within our own hemisphere. These goals fit clearly within our broader foreign policy framework: promotion of free markets; increasing economic and political integration; and promotion of democracy. I believe it is fair to state that our Administration has made significant strides in achieving these goals - three of which I should note.

First, we passed the NAFTA, the cornerstone of a new hemispheric policy, which promotes free markets, creates jobs in the United States and elsewhere, and promotes hemispheric stability by linking us more closely with Mexico. NAFTA was a bipartisan effort, which passed with assistance for organizations such as the council.

Second, we passed the GATT Uruguay Round - again bipartisan and with your support. The Uruguay Round is the largest trade agreement in history, which incorporates vast new sectors of heretofore unregulated international trade. Importantly, we have institutionalized Uruguay Round gains by supporting creation of the WTO.

Third, we hosted the Summit of the Americas in Miami in December. The summit, as you know, brought together all of the democratic countries of the hemisphere for the first time. It was a historic event which exceeded expectations, establishing an agenda for the hemisphere based on shared values and common interests.

Implementation of Summit

Commitments

These three achievements have really formed much of the basis for our hemispheric relations. Open markets and strong democracies are not mutually exclusive; they are reinforcing. The Summit of the Americas recognized this linkage, and our work program in the implementation of summit commitments is consistent with that premise.

When the 34 democratically elected hemispheric leaders gathered together last December in Miami, it was evident then - and it remains evident now - that we have moved toward a hemispheric consensus of values which was perhaps unthinkable even a few short years ago. Miami charted a course for the hemisphere which is visionary yet achievable, expansive yet practical, dramatic yet fully grounded in the experiences and prerogatives of our individual nations. Just as the United States is in the process now of "reinventing government," so we consider the summit to have been the beginning of regional efforts to reinvent hemispheric relations in keeping with the foundation you've helped put in place over the years.