President Havel, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is my great honor to say a few words here at the 13th Forum 2000 Conference.

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of The Velvet Revolution led by President Havel. This historic event sent an important message to the world.

It was a message telling us that one country in the middle of Europe could play a pivotal role in changing the world and the course of history. A message that it could do so, not through violence, but through the determined pursuit of liberty by its people. A message that moral leadership could make all the difference.

The collapse of authoritarian regimes twenty years ago brought optimism to the world. It generated a genuine sense of hope. There was hope that the world would become more united. That we would no longer have to live in fear of self-destruction. That the world would inevitably change for the better.

By the middle of the 1990s, however, this optimism was beginning to fade. There was a rising sense of unease with the direction in which we were heading. There was concern that new tensions and conflicts could potentially result in a major catastrophe. And there was a realization that we could not take the course of history for granted.

It was against this backdrop, in 1995, that President Havel came to me with his vision for a new forum. A forum where leaders and thinkers would come together to identify what unites our world rather than divides it. President Havel and I came from two very different parts of the world. We had led very different lives.

But I found that we shared the same concerns, the same fundamental values,　and convictions.

I was immediately convinced that it would be the beginning of a truly important initiative as well as the start of a lifelong friendship.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today the world may not be divided in the same way it was two decades ago.

But it is divided in other, more complex, ways. These divisions have given rise to new problems. And they have at times made it difficult to work together in addressing others. Religious conflict. Global epidemics. Environmental degradation. The list of challenges we face goes on and on.

Now, more than ever, we need venues like the Forum 2000 Conference. We need thinkers and leaders to come together with a shared commitment to work towards a better world. To unite in the commitment to seek out common moral and spiritual values. To foster a sense of shared responsibility for our world. And to provide moral leadership for addressing the vital issues facing us today.

I believe that now, more than ever, it is vital that we share the spirit and message of this forum with as many people as possible. By doing so I believe we can play an important role in charting the way towards a brighter future.

It is a great honor and privilege to extend my heartfelt welcome to our distinguished guests, and to express my sincere gratitude to President Havel and the members of the Forum 2000 Foundation, who continue to make it possible for us to gather every year here in Prague.

Thank you.