Bill Clinton: “Well, first of all, let's wait and see what happens. But I would like to make two comments about it. I told the American…”

“Well, first of all, let's wait and see what happens. But I would like to make two comments about it. I told the American people when I sought this office that it was necessary for the President to look to the long-term economic interests of the country as well as to the short-term economic interests of the country, that we were moving into a global economy in which we had to make long-term commitments and expect others to make them if we wanted Americans to have good jobs and stable incomes and brighter futures. We don't yet know--I don't want to jump the gun on what the agreement will be, but I think most Americans would like it very much to know that at some date certain that every market in this part of the world, the fastest growing part of the world with already some of the most powerful economies in the world, would be as open to our products as our markets are to theirs. I think Americans would like that. And I would ask that the Americans who want immediate results to remember that after 2 years of hard work, we have the economy going in the right direction. We need to provide more stability and higher wages in it and more security, ability to afford health care and things of that kind. And we have seen some significant advances in foreign policy in the Middle East, in Northern Ireland, in Haiti, with the missile agreement with China, with the nuclear agreement with North Korea. These things take time, but you do get the payoff if you invest the time. This is a remarkable thing, the fact that these 15 leaders are meeting for the second time in 2 years and talking about ripping down the barriers that divide us so that all of our people can be more prosperous in the future. I did not want, when I became President, I did not want to see this world polarized by trading blocs which would take the place of the nuclear blocs of the cold war. I wanted to see regions cooperate within themselves but also reach out beyond their borders. That's what I have worked for in Europe, in Latin America, in Africa, and certainly in Asia. It is the fastest growing part of the world. The American people cannot be as prosperous as they need to be unless we succeed here in Asia. Thank you. Bosnia”