But the cycle of violence will not be broken until citizens can pursue their goals more successfully with ballots than with bullets, and until investors replace insurgents as forces for social transformation. The commitment of regional leaders to the social, political and economic empowerment of all their citizens is fundamental. It is through such empowerment that citizens gain a meaningful stake in their societies. The process will be long. And there will be setbacks.
Democracy is always and everywhere a work in progress.
The primacy of the will of the people. Respect for the rule of law. Openness and transparency in government will also help release the region's economic potential. Through debt relief and President Clinton's Partnership for Economic Growth and Opportunity, we are committed to helping countries that undertake economic reforms find capital to develop their industries and markets to sell their products. A Presidential delegation of businesspeople, members of Congress and U.S. government officials was in Addis Ababa just yesterday, as the Secretary General mentioned looking at ways that this initiative can reinforce reforms already in place.