*EPF105 03/06/00
Transcript: Lieberman Presents Distinguished IV Alumni Awards
(To alumni from Japan, Jordan, Poland, Botswana, Singapore) (2050)
Evelyn Lieberman, the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, presented the Distinguised International Visitor Alumni Award to three alumni who were present at the awards ceremony at the State Department February 28.
The presentations were part of the celebration of the 60th year of the International Visitor program.
Receiving awards from Under Secretary of State Lieberman were:
-- Toshiki Kaifu, who served as Prime Minister of Japan starting in 1989. He participated in the International Visitor Program in 1962.
-- Dr. Abdul Salam Majali of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Dr. Majali served as Prime Minister of Jordan from 1993-1995 and again from 1997-1998. He was an international visitor in 1957.
-- Minister Hanna Suchoska of Poland who served as Prime Minister of her country from 1992-1993. She has served as Justice Minister from 1997 to the present. She was a participant in the International Visitor Program in 1988.
Two other recipients who could not be present were:
-- Sir Ketumile Masire, former President of the Republic of Botswana who was an international visitor in 1975.
-- Dr. Wi Kim Wi, former President of the Republic of Singapore who was an international visitor in 1964, and who was known as "the people's President," Under Secretary Lieberman said.
Following is the State Department transcript, which was released March 3:
(begin transcript)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
March 3, 2000
REMARKS BY UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE EVELYN S. LIEBERMAN
DISTINGUISHED INTERNATIONAL VISITOR ALUMNI AWARD CEREMONY
February 28, 2000
UNDER SECRETARY LIEBERMAN: Good evening everyone and welcome to this magnificent setting in the State Department. On behalf of Secretary Albright, may I welcome you all here. I'm delighted you're here for this very exciting occasion.
My name is Evelyn Lieberman. I'm the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, and these programs that you are here representing come into this department.
Not long ago, I had the pleasure of presenting an award to Madhura Chatrapathy, a former international visitor who has devoted much of her life to helping women in India become entrepreneurs. When she spoke about her time as a visitor in America, she said "You welcomed a stranger and sent home a friend."
As we celebrate 60 years of building an international community, the International Visitor Program continues to show how it can succeed where other approaches often struggle. The program has enabled tens of thousands of people from other countries to understand America's diverse culture, share our common humanity, and appreciate our international policies whether or not they agree with them.
In the same way, the International Visitor Program has enriched thousands of Americans who welcomed international visitors as strangers and have them still as lifelong friends. At a time when cultural understanding or the lack of it lies at the heart of international issues, whether we look at trade disputes, ethnic conflicts, or disagreements on biotechnology, at a time when so many fear that globalization threatens their cultural identities, the International Visitor Program is a vital diplomatic force. I hope that we will mark the 60th year of this extraordinary program by renewing our efforts to promote, support, and expand cross-cultural sharing and understanding.
Tonight we express our pride in the International Visitor Program by honoring the lives and accomplishments of its alumni. More than 185 current and former heads of government or chiefs of state have been international visitors. They are part of an international network of alumni, teachers, writers, legislatures, journalists, museum directors, and NGO activists. They are thousands of gifted men and women who understand America and who are shaping their own countries today.
I'm honored now to recognize five of those extraordinary individuals each of whom participated in the International Visitor Program before going on to lead his or her nation. We present them with the distinguished International Visitor Alumni award to celebrate the contributions they have made to their own countries, to bettering the world, and to improving relations between their nation and ours. In presenting these awards, we also honor our predecessors of the International Visitor Program who so wisely invited people of such promise and vision to America.
Three of our awardees are with us here, and I would ask when I call them that they come up to receive their award and perhaps say a few words about their experience as international visitors.
Our first award recipient is His Excellency Mr. Toshiki Kaifu of Japan. Mr. Kaifu served as Prime Minister of Japan assuming that office in 1989. He participated in the International Visitors Program in 1962.
During his tenure as Prime Minister, Mr. Kaifu worked tirelessly to improve relations between Japan and the United States. He led at a time when Japan looked beyond its borders and increasingly shared international responsibilities which included supporting allied-led forces in the Persian Gulf War. Mr. Kaifu, thank you for your deep commitment to understanding and mutual respect between the United States and Japan.
Congratulations. Would you be kind enough to say a few words.
MR. KAIFU: Thank you very much. When I went around your country, I know most of you belong to organization which took care of me. And it's still - those memories are fresh in my mind. And while in the United States I learned quite a bit about the Peace Corps. And upon return in my country, I was able to start our own Peace Corps. That is one of the accomplishment I have made. For that, I am grateful. Thank you very much.
UNDER SECRETARY LIEBERMAN: I would like now to present the distinguished International Visitor Alumni Award to His Excellency Dr. Abdul Salam Majali of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Dr. Majali served as Prime Minister from 1993 to 1995 and again from 1997 to 1998. He was an international visitor in 1957. In presenting this award, we recognize Dr. Majali's outstanding support of the Middle East Peace Process and his many efforts to deepen understanding between the citizens of our two countries.
As Prime Minister, he was known for his monumental efforts to promote international dialogue and to secure peaceful relations with Jordan's neighbors. Dr. Majali was signatory to the 1994 Treaty of Peace between the State of Israel and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Dr. Majali, your courage and persistence in promoting peace and stability has touched the lives of people throughout the Middle East and helped make your country a model of conflict resolution and conciliation.
My congratulations and my thanks. Would you like to say a few words for us, please.
DR. MAJALI: Madame Under Secretary Lieberman, Madame Wiley, our Director who sponsored this visit. Let me start by saying I am very grateful to this invitation for this award, and I must say though I am the most senior among most of the people here by age or by visit, but I share with you that what I have collected over the various visits of the United States as a doctor, as an officer, as an educator, and as a politician has led me to quite a lot of the achievements which I have done in my life. And thankful to God to give me the life long enough to see most of these achievements come through, and one of them is to be with you distinguished people here and to thank you for all the efforts which you have done to make my visits and other people visits as successful as they are.
We cannot pay you back neither in material nor in visit, but we pay you back by respect. By respect and admiration we do that to the United States of America and to the people of the United States holding the banner of freedom and democracy. Thank you very much indeed.
UNDER SECRETARY LIEBERMAN: Our next award recipient is one of Europe's foremost women leaders. I love how that sounds, women leaders. Her Excellency Minister Hanna Suchoska served as Prime Minister of Poland from 1992 to 1993. She has served as Justice Minister from 1997 to the present. She was a participant in the International Visitor Program in 1988.
As the first woman Prime Minister in post-communist Central Europe, Minister Suchoska paved the way for Poland's economic success and democratic reforms. As Justice Minister, she continues to lead the development of democratic institutions. Minister Suchoska, we thank you for your pioneering efforts, your leadership, and your vision. My congratulations.
JUSTICE MINISTER SUCHOSKA: Madame Under Secretary, and I can use the words old friends because I remember my program very well, and I know very well that without your support, the program would not be so successful as it was.
I remember very well my private visit, very nice dinners and talks just with you and friend of yours. It was really a very great, how to say, great surprise for me, but also it was the first meeting with United States. I was first time to United States - I came first time to United States thanks to program - International Visitor Program because before I had no opportunity, no possibility to be in United States. And you know, it is such a coincidence -- maybe strange, maybe normal coincidence - that I came here in June '88 from communist Poland, but one year later I was elected to democratic parliament in democratic Poland, yes, you know.
I can only promise you that I know and we Polish people, we know how big effort American peoples take in our history to support us and to help us to be an independent and free world. And thank you as a representative of American peoples for such efforts and for the helps you did for us.
And I also would like to say that I analyze and analyzed very carefully your Constitution, and we and our Polish Parliament and I 10 years ago as a chief of the Constitution Subcommittee for Human Rights, I would like to put to our Constitutions some elements from your American Constitutions. Despite, we had the first Polish Constitutions in the 18th Century, but I was later than American Constitution, but it's first one on European ground so.
And thank you so much, once again, and I am really very happy to be back to United States to Washington. And thank you very much for the possibility to better know a United States and, because of the visit, to love United States. Thank you so much.
UNDER SECRETARY LIEBERMAN: Two other recipients could not join us tonight, Sir Ketumile Masire , former President of the Republic of Botswana and an international visitor in 1975, continues his work to bring peaceful solutions to Africa's conflicts and bring understanding of Africa to the world, and His Excellency Dr. Wi Kim Wi, former President of the Republic of Singapore and an international visitor in 1964, who was known as the people's President. He helped lay the foundation for improved relations between the United States and Singapore.
We're very proud of the examples set by each of our distinguished alumni. We owe you a great debt, and we want you to know how much you inspire us to strengthen our commitment to this program so that it may help outstanding people become peacemakers and international leaders for years to come.
I also want to particularly thank the people in this room for making this phenomenal program as successful as it has been, and you all know that I'm not exaggerating when I say you all are helping make history. Thank you very much for all you do.
MS. WILEY: At this time, I would invite the representatives from embassies to come to this side of the stage so we can take some portraits. So I would ask our Distinguished International Visitor Alumni to please stay seated for a few minutes while we take the pictures, and Mrs. Lieberman will join them. And also the Director's privilege, I would also ask the Director's mother to come forward so she can join. Thank you.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: usinfo.state.gov)
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