Premier Paula Cox shared the stage with former US President Bill Clinton for almost an hour yesterday, after taking on the formidable task of introducing the popular former US President and great orator as the keynote speaker for the C3 Summit on US-Arab business relations.Mr Clinton opened his speech by saying: "I was thinking the outlook for the future can't be so bad if the prime minister of Bermuda (sic) is co-sponsoring a conference to increase trade and investment between the US and the countries of the Middle East."I thought I was supposed to come here to tell the people from the Mideast to invest in Bermuda ... which I highly recommend anyway!"Praising the Premier, Clinton said Bermuda’s involvement showed "Premier Cox's foresighted leadership that she is interested (in hosting) this conference."Mr Clinton also recalled his recent trip to Bermuda, saying that he took his first trip to the Island some 35 years ago."I went back to the room Hillary and I stayed in ... in this beautiful little resort which was a collection of cottages in the hills looking down on the water it's still there but going to be remodelled and it needed it." He added laughing, "The room and I are not getting any younger ... but it's a wonderful place."In preparation for Mr Clinton’s attendance, security at New York's Museum of Natural History auditorium was extremely tight.Media attention in the US is focused right now on Mr Clinton following his successful Democratic National convention speech, seen as highlight of the event, and as he hits campaign trail for President Obama. Premier Cox noted Mr Clinton’s speech as she introduced him, calling it "mesmerising and masterful".She also spoke about his political career as well as his environmental and humanitarian initiatives."I think we can all agree the world would not be the same today without President Clinton's more than 35 years of public service," she said, calling him a “global patriot".In his address, Mr Clinton paid tribute to the late US Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens saying he was the sixth US ambassador killed in the line of duty.His speech’s theme was “Embracing our Common Humanity”.He said he was really proud of the initiates that the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the State Department have taken to try to develop better relations with the Mideast.Premier Cox then shared the stage with Mr Clinton as she moderated a Q&A forum for him, in which attendees asked questions about Mideast issues.Earlier Ms Cox opened the business summit saying it had come at an “opportune time” and Bermuda sees “tremendous scope for economic partnership with the Gulf Cooperation Council region”.She said it's Government's aim to be a "safe harbour for investment" for the GCC.C3 Summit founder Ransel Potter and several other speakers including National US Arab Chamber of Commerce head David Hamod, and American ambassadors in the region, all noted this morning with sadness the killing this week of colleague Chris Stevens, the US ambassador to Libya, whom most knew personally and had worked with.Mr Potter said Mr Clinton — one of the world's most sought-after speakers — had agreed to address the Summit due to his commitment to the Middle East and the quality of speakers and attendees. A series of speakers spent the morning discussing the economic and political challenges in the Mideast including in Libya, Syria, Iraq and Egypt.Mr Potter said it was to Bermuda and Premier Cox's credit that she had "seized the Summit's opportunity to strengthen Bermuda's partnerships with the Mideast".The C3 Summit is to be an annual conference on how US and Middle East companies can profit from rapid change in the region and how the West can do business with these fast emerging markets.Bermuda's high profile role at C3 is seen by Government advisers as a coup for the Island that's well worth the money paid to be a top sponsor.Other sponsors and speakers include Sanford Weill, previously chairman and CEO of Citigroup, and Abdullah A. Zainel Alireza, former Minister of Commerce and Industry of Saudi Arabia.The Bermuda team includes Tourism and Business Development Minister Wayne Furbert, and BMA head Jeremy Cox and Hamilton Mayor Graeme Outerbridge.