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Administration of William J. Clinton, 1995 / Dec. 14

Remarks at the Signing Ceremony for the Balkan Peace Agreement in December 14, 1995

President Chirac, President Izetbegovic, Presi- dents, you have bound yourselves to peace. But dent Tudjman, President Milosevic, Secretary- tomorrow you must turn the pages of this agree- General Boutros-Ghali, Secretary General ment into a real-life future of hope for those Solana, High Representative Bildt, Prime Min- who have survived this horrible war. At your ister Filali, Prime Minister Chernomyrdin, request, the and than 25 Prime Minister Major, Prime Minister Gonzalez, other nations will send you our most precious Kohl: Let me begin, on behalf of resource, the men and women of our Armed the people of the United States, by thanking Forces. Their mission, to allow the Bosnian peo- all of those whose labor and wisdom helped ple to emerge from a nightmare of fear into to keep hope alive during the long, dark years a new day of security, according to terms you of war, the humanitarian relief workers, the have approved, in a manner that is evenhanded forces from and beyond. and to all. Had it not been for their dedication and their The international community will work with sacrifice, the toll of the war in Bosnia would you to change the face of Bosnia: to meet have been even greater. human needs; to repair and to rebuild; to re- And I thank those whose work helped make unite children with their families and refugees this moment of peace possible, beginning with with their homes; to oversee democratic elec- our host, Prime Minister Chirac, for his vigor tions, advance human rights, and call to account and determination; Prime Minister Major, who those accused of war crimes. was a full partner in the development of the We can do all these things, but we cannot rapid reaction force and our NATO cooperation; guarantee the future of Bosnia. No one outside and our friend Chancellor Kohl, who has taken can guarantee that Muslims, Croats, and Serbs so many of the refugees and who now is sending in Bosnia will come together and stay together German troops beyond his border in this historic as free citizens in a united country sharing a common endeavor. I thank the leaders of the common destiny. Only the Bosnian people can strong NATO and the determined negotiating do that. team of , Europeans, and Americans. I know the losses have been staggering, the All of you have brought us to this bright new scars are deep. We feel even today that the day, when Bosnia turns from the horror of war wounds have not healed. But Bosnia must find to the promise of peace. President Izetbegovic, a way, with God’s grace, to lay down the President Tudjman, President Milosevic, by hatreds, to give up the revenge, to go forward making peace you have answered the call of together. That is the road—indeed, that is the your people. You have heard them say, ‘‘Stop only road—to the future. the war. End the suffering. Give our children We see from Northern to the Middle the blessings of a normal life.’’ East, from South Africa to , people turning In this chorus for peace today we also hear from hatred to hope. Here in Europe, countries the hallowed voices of the victims, the children that for centuries fought now work together for whose playgrounds were shelled into killing peace. Soon the Bosnian people will see for fields, the young girls brutalized by , the themselves the awesome potential of people to men shot down in mass graves, those who turn from conflict to cooperation. In just a few starved in the camps, those who died in battle, days troops from all over Europe and North the millions taken from their homes and torn America and elsewhere—troops from Great from their families. Even from beyond the grave Britain, , and , troops from there are victims singing the song of peace and , troops from and today. their voices be in our minds and Lithuania, and troops from the United States our hearts forever. and , former enemies, now friends—will In Dayton, these three Balkan leaders made answer the same call and share the same respon- the fateful choice for peace. Today, Mr. Presi- sibilities to achieve the same goal, a lasting

1889 Dec. 14 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1995 peace in Bosnia where enemies can become the British Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward Gray, friends. said these words: ‘‘The lamps are going out all Why would they do this? Because their hearts over Europe. We shall not see them lit again are broken by the suffering and the slaughter; in our lifetimes.’’ because their minds recoil at the prospect of But they were lit again, by an extraordinary needless spreading war in the heart of Europe. generation of Europeans and Americans. The But they—we—do so in the face of skeptics torch of freedom they carried now shines more who say the people of the cannot escape brightly than ever before on every . their bloody past, that Balkan hearts are too That torch can shine on Bosnia again, but first hard for peace. it must warm the hearts of the Bosnian people. But let us remember this war did violence So I say to all the people of the Balkans not only to Bosnia’s people but also to Bosnia’s on behalf of all of us who would come to see history. For Bosnia once found unity in its diver- this peace take hold: You have seen what war sity. Generations of Muslims, Orthodox, Catho- has wrought. You know what peace can bring. lics, and lived side by side and enriched Seize this chance and make it work. You can the by their example. They built schools do nothing to erase the past, but you can do and libraries and wondrous places of worship. everything to build the future. Do not let your Part of the population laid down their tools on children down. Friday, part on Saturday, and part on Sunday. Thank you. But their lives were woven together by marriage and , work, a common language, and a shared pride in a place that then they all called NOTE: The President spoke at 12:50 p.m. in the home. Now, if that past is any guide, this peace Salon des Fetes at the Elysee Palace. In his re- can take hold. And if the people of Bosnia want marks, he referred to President a decent future for their children, this peace of France, U.N. Secretary-General Boutros must take hold. Boutros-Ghali, NATO Secretary General Javier Here in this City of Light, at this moment Solana, High Representative of the Balkan peace of hope, let us recall how this century—marked conference Carl Bildt, Prime Minister Abdellatif by so much progress and too much bloodshed, Filali of , Prime Minister Viktor witness to humanity’s best and humanity’s Chernomyrdin of Russia, Prime Minister John worst—how this century began in Bosnia. At Major of the , Prime Minister the dawn of the century, when gunfire in Sara- Felipe Gonzalez of , and Chancellor Helmut jevo sparked the first of our two World Wars, Kohl of Germany.

Remarks on Presenting the Presidential Citizens Medals December 15, 1995

The President. Good afternoon. Congressman not be there: Bob Frasure, Joe Kruzel, and Nel- Davis, Secretary Perry, General Shalikashvili, son Drew. For without their efforts there would Deputy Secretary Talbott, distinguished friends: have been no agreement in Dayton, and no sign- Let me say it is a great honor to welcome the ing in Paris. The shells would still be falling Frasure family, the Kruzel family, the Drew in Sarajevo. family here today. When Bob, Joe, and Nelson died on Mount Yesterday in Paris I watched the Presidents Igman on August 19th, they were serving in of Bosnia, , and sign an agreement the greatest of all missions, working for peace that turns their troubled from war to and freedom. How I wish they could know that peace. Then on behalf of our Nation, I wit- their efforts were destined to be crowned with nessed the agreement. success. I think they do. I witnessed it also in a more personal sense They knew their mission was dangerous. They on behalf of three great Americans who could talked about the risks the night before they set

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