00:00The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda have agreed to more closely integrate their
00:05economies with each other rather than fighting, and they'll be doing that. These two gentlemen
00:11are very smart, and I think they liked each other a lot. I spent time with them. I think
00:19they liked each other. Some people may be surprised. I really do. I think they spent
00:24a lot of time killing each other, and now they're going to spend a lot of time hugging, holding
00:32hands, and taking advantage of the United States of America economically like every other country
00:37does. So they're going to do very well, but they do have some valuable, some very valuable
00:44things. They're going to have a lot of money because it is an amazing day. Great day for
00:48Africa, a great day for the world, and for these two countries, and they have so much
00:54to be proud of, and I want to thank the leaders. I want to thank you very much. It means maybe
01:00more because we are here together for the first time ever in this building. Brand new, beautiful
01:05building. I don't want to tell you how much it costs because I hear it's a lot. They don't
01:11build inexpensively here.
01:24Well, thank you very much. Wow. This is a nice building, I have to tell you. So this
01:44is a special occasion for a lot of reasons, but number one is it's our first occasion in
01:50this building, using it for peace. And it's all about peace, and it's a great honor. And
01:56Marco, you've done a fantastic job in getting it ready, but it's a spectacular building, and
02:03we all appreciate it. And very importantly, we're settling a war that's been going on for
02:10decades with millions and millions of people killed. And these two gentlemen spent a lot
02:17of time backstage talking to each other and over at the Oval Office. We were at the Oval
02:22Office together. It was beautiful. And I think it's just a very important day, and I think
02:28it's just a very important day. And we have other leaders from other countries, and you said
02:34such beautiful things. I'd love to have you come up. We'll finish up, and then I'd love
02:37to have you come up. And if you can issue the words that you just issued backstage, it
02:43usually doesn't work. It usually never happens. They said it much better before, but you will
02:49probably do better up here. But I'd love to have you say how you felt, because it is an
02:54amazing day. Great day for Africa, great day for the world, and for these two countries.
03:00And they have so much to be proud of. And I want to thank the leaders. I want to thank
03:05you very much. It means maybe more because we are here together for the first time ever
03:12in this building. Brand new, beautiful building. I don't want to tell you how much it costs,
03:16because I hear it's a lot. Okay? They don't build inexpensively here. But I just want to thank
03:23you very much. So please sit down, everybody. I want to thank everybody for being here.
03:30It's a momentous occasion. It's a truly incredible setting. It's very few places I've seen like
03:37this. In this holy season, we prepare to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace. We have come
03:45to the U.S. Institute of Peace to sign a historic agreement that will end one of the longest-running
03:52conflicts anywhere in the world with far more than 10 million people killed. Today, we commit
03:59to stopping decades of violence and bloodshed and to begin a new era of harmony and cooperation
04:04between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. I want to thank the two courageous
04:11leaders. They are courageous leaders. They really are courageous leaders. Great people.
04:18President Chisekite of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and President Kagame of Rwanda.
04:28They are amazing people. And they had stories to tell me that were incredible and really fascinating
04:38in so many different ways. Sad and beautiful. Both sad and beautiful. And today makes them
04:45beautiful. I've just held really fantastic meetings with both men and representatives of other countries
04:54where we discussed the importance of upholding this new agreement. Very detailed, powerful agreement.
05:01I also want to thank several foreign guests and dignitaries in attendance to celebrate this magnificent
05:08event, including the President of Angola. Please, would you stand? And so great to see you. Thank you.
05:15The President of Burundi. Thank you very much. Great to see you again.
05:28The President of Kenya. We have the Olympics here. You know, they do very well in the Olympics,
05:36those runners. I don't know what the heck you do with those runners, but they are very good. I've been watching
05:42them for a long time. So we have the Olympics coming to the United States. You know that. Thank you very much.
05:47And you'll come as our guest. Thank you. And the President of the Council of Ministers of Togo.
05:55Thank you. Thank you very much. The Vice President of Uganda. Thank you.
06:07It's such a beautiful color. All these guys are wearing these dark suits. You just stand out for a lot of reasons. You're beautiful.
06:16The Foreign Ministers of Qatar. Thank you. Thank you very much. Say hello to my friend. Great man.
06:27And the United Arab Emirates. Thank you. Thank you. My regards, right?
06:37And the Chairman of the African Union Commission, who's done a fantastic job.
06:42And thank you for all your help. We appreciate all your help.
06:46A special group of people. A very special thanks as well to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Marco, please stand. Thank you.
06:58And thank you for putting a certain name on that building. I said, boy, that is beautiful. That blew up last night.
07:04They said that's a great honor. It really is on this building. It's a great honor. Thank you very much. I assume you had a lot to do with that.
07:11Just a little bit. Yeah. Thank you. Appreciate it. And Senior Advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos, who's been fantastic.
07:20Thank you, Massad. All of these people, every one of them were indispensable in forging this agreement.
07:26Let me also recognize Senators Mike Rounds and Lindsey Graham.
07:31Lindsey, thank you. Mike, wherever you may be. Thank you. Thank you, Mike.
07:37Representatives Ronnie Jackson. Where's Ronnie? Ronnie is a great guy.
07:43He won his race in Texas by 48 points. Right, Ronnie?
07:47I don't have to ask if he's in any country. I don't even have to endorse him anymore.
07:51It doesn't matter. Save the paper, right? Great job.
07:55Chris Smith. Chris? Thank you, Chris. Great. Good job.
08:01Trent Kelly? Trent? Thank you very much. Thank you.
08:07And the Acting President of the Institute for Peace, Darren Beattie.
08:12Thank you, Darren, very much. Thank you very much, Darren.
08:16For more than 30 years, one of the worst conflicts on Earth has been raging in Eastern Congo.
08:23Millions and millions of people have been tragically killed.
08:27Went on forever. And countless more have been displaced from their homes.
08:32Families have been destroyed. It's been a disaster.
08:35Many administrations have tried, but probably not too hard, knowing who preceded me.
08:43But they tried. It says they've tried.
08:46But we tried harder to end this conflict.
08:49But they've accomplished, obviously, they accomplished very little,
08:53because the killing went on at levels that just got worse and worse.
08:57And today we're succeeding where so many others have failed.
09:01And this has become the eighth war that we've ended in less than one year.
09:06Such an exciting thing to do.
09:08This has been a really, because we're talking about 30 years of fighting.
09:1230 years, much more than 10 million lives.
09:15Last June, thanks to the efforts of Secretary Rubio and Mr. Boulos, Rwanda and the DRC reached a landmark agreement to move toward peace.
09:28They started the process. I met with some of their great representatives who are here also.
09:33And we started a great process.
09:36The compact we're signing today, which will be known as the Washington Accords, everybody sort of liked that name,
09:43formalizes the terms agreed to in June, including a permanent ceasefire, the disarmament of non-state forces,
09:51provisions for refugees to return to their homes, and justice and accountability for those who have committed illegal atrocities.
10:00Very importantly, this agreement also creates a new framework for economic prosperity.
10:05There's tremendous wealth in those, in that beautiful earth.
10:09It's a beautiful earth.
10:11But it was stained badly with blood, tremendous amounts of blood.
10:16But in the region, it will support a lasting peace.
10:19And the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda have agreed to more closely integrate their economies with each other rather than fighting.
10:28And they'll be doing that.
10:30And these two gentlemen are very smart.
10:32And I think they liked each other a lot.
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