[Daryn Kagan, Cnn Anchor:] President Clinton is making history as the first U.S. president to visit Bangladesh. He arrived in the impoverished nation today, starting a six-day visit to South Asia. CNN's John King is traveling with the president.
[John King, Cnn White House Correspondent:] Mostly celebration, but some disappointment today, as Bill Clinton became the first U.S. president to visit impoverished Bangladesh. The celebration reflected at an airport ceremony that featured a 21-gun salute and a military honor guard for the visiting U.S. president. The disappointment, however, caused because of a schedule change forced by security concerns. Mr. Clinton was to visit the tiny, remote village of Joypura to promote economic development efforts. But the stop was called off because the Secret Service could not guarantee the president's safety. Instead, the villagers brought to the U.S. embassy in Dhaka. Mr. Clinton met with a group of women from the town, entrepreneurs, and also with a group of schoolchildren. This is a country where disaster and disease are all too common. But Mr. Clinton told the children he would leave Bangladesh full of hope.
[William J. Clinton, President Of The United States:] You convinced me again that no one, no one should believe that poverty is destiny, that people have to remain poor, that their children cannot learn and do better. You have made me believe more strongly than ever that every child in this world should be given the chance to dream and to live those dreams.
[King:] The toughest part of the trip lies ahead, as Mr. Clinton travels to India and then onto Pakistan, hoping to calm nuclear tensions in the region and also to convince the two nations to reopen a dialogue over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. While here in South Asia, Mr. Clinton also focusing his attention on the volatile Middle East, telling reporters he would travel to Geneva on the way home to meet the Syrian president, Hafez el-Assad. Mr. Clinton trying to get back on track negotiations between Israel and Syria, that began with high hopes in Washington in December, formerly were launched in January, but quickly stalled.
[Clinton:] We worked very hard with the parties to get the Palestinian and Israeli track back going, and they're doing very, very well indeed. And I think they have a lot of energy and a real plan for the future. And I think is this is the next logical step. I don't want to unduly raise expectations, but I think that this is an appropriate thing for me to do to try to get this back on track.
[King:] In India, Mr. Clinton will seek to elevate a relationship strained for decades because of India's leanings toward the Soviet Union during the Cold War. And in Pakistan, he will urge the military government that ceased power five months ago to restore democracy, and also to crack town on terrorism. John King, CNN, Dhaka, Bangladesh.