This is historical material, "frozen in time." The web site is no longer updated and links to external web sites and some internal pages will not work.

President Clinton's Middle East Tour

OCTOBER 25 - 29, 1994

On October 25, 1994, President Clinton embarked on an historic journey to Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Israel, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia

. Peace in the Middle East is a fundamental interest of the United States, and this country's continued participation in the peace process is crucial to its success.

Starting his trip in Cairo, Egypt, President Clinton met with Egyptian President Mubarak and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat . Their discussion focused on implementing the Declaration of Principles between the PLO and Israel.

In addition to the meetings that took place, President Clinton attended a formal arrival ceremony in Cairo, Egypt , and the First Lady found time to tour the Sphinx and the great pyramids with Mrs. Mubarak .

On October 26, 1994, President Clinton traveled from Egypt to the border between Israel and Jordan for the signing ceremony for the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty . An excerpt from the President's remarks at the ceremony:

"...At the dawn of this peace of a generation, in this ancient place we celebrate the history and the faith of Jordanians and Israelis. But we break the chains of the past that for too long have kept you shackled in the shadows of strife and suffering. We thank those who have worked for peace before. We celebrate the efforts of brave leaders who saw the bright horizon of this dawn, even while the darkness lingered."

Following the historic Peace Treaty signing, President Clinton addressed the Jordanian Parliament in Amman, Jordan . His message was one that reflected on what just occurred, and included words of hope for the future. The President encouraged economic development in the region, and encouraged other Middle East nations to contribute to the effort.

Following his stay in Jordan, the President continued his trip in Syria where he met with President Hafiz al-Asad in Damascus. The oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, Damascus was host to a new conference with remarks by both leaders. From Damascus, the President traveled to Israel where he visited the Yad Vashem Memorial . His stay in Israel also included remarks to the Knesset in Jerusalem and a news conference with Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin.

The tour of the Middle East concluded with a stay in Kuwait to speak to the U.S. troops stationed there . He was also awarded the Mubarak Medal in Kuwait City, and accepted it on behalf of all the men and women of our Armed Forces .

Returning home after his stay in Kuwait, the President pledged to continue to work with all the countries in the Middle East to ensure a lasting agreement and a future of peace in that region.

To comment on this service,
send feedback to the Web Development Team.