August 2000 - Nr. 8
Aachen Honours Clinton
TWIG - "Bill, with your engagement, you have become a true European," Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder declared Friday (June 2) at a ceremony to present President Bill Clinton with the city of Aachen’s Karlspreis, the International Charlemagne Prize. The Karlspreis has been presented annually since 1950 to individuals who have made notable contributions to the process of European integration. Clinton, Schroeder noted Friday, made sure the United States did not lose interest in Europe after the fall of the Iron Curtain and extended a hand to the nations of Eastern Europe. When many in Europe were despairing of the continent’s prospects, Schroeder added, Clinton remained committed to a positive vision of a free and united Europe as global partner to the United States.
Clinton, the first U.S. president to be presented with the Karlspreis, outlined his hopes for the future of the European-American partnership in accepting the honour. It is in the United States’ interest to continue supporting Europe’s ambitious plans for further integration, he suggested, much as it is in Europe’s interest to strengthen the Atlantic alliance. A united Europe, Clinton went on to suggest, should eventually include the Balkan states, Turkey and even, potentially, Russia. Neither the European Union nor NATO, he said, should be closed to a democratic and stabile Russia.
