Text 162, 205 rader
Skriven 2004-12-04 23:32:54 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0412042) for Sat, 2004 Dec 4
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President Bush and President Musharraf Discuss International Relations,
Commerce
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
December 4, 2004

President and President Musharraf Discuss International Relations, Commerce
The Oval Office



9:50 A.M. EST

PRESIDENT BUSH: It's my honor to welcome a friend, a leader, President
Musharraf of Pakistan. He is a person with whom I've worked very closely
over the past four years, a person with whom I look forward to working
closely over the next four years. And we had a really good discussion.

We discussed international politics. I assured President Musharraf that
there is an opportunity at hand to work toward the development of a
Palestinian state and peace in the Middle East. I told him that this will
be a priority of my administration; the goals is two states living
side-by-side in peace and security.

We spent time talking about our bilateral relations. We reviewed the
relationship between India and Pakistan. He has showed great courage in
that relationship, leading toward what we hope will be a peaceful solution
of what has been a historically difficult problem.

We talked about our own bilateral relations. The President and I are
absolutely committed to fighting off the terrorists who would destroy life
in Pakistan, or the United States, or anywhere else. And I appreciate very
much your clear vision of the need for people of goodwill and hope to
prevail over those who are willing to inflict death in order to achieve an
ideology that is -- the predominance of an ideology that is just backward
and dark in its view.

I -- we talked about commerce between our countries. The President is very
concerned about whether or not Pakistan goods are being treated equally,
fairly, as other goods coming into the United States. I listened very
carefully to what he had to say. He had some constructive ideas as to how
to deal with that situation.

Having brought up his economy, however, I reminded him that he's doing
quite a good job of making sure that the economy grows in Pakistan so that
people have got a chance to realize their dreams. And I congratulate you on
the good stewardship of the Pakistan economy.

All in all, our relationships are good, they're strong, and they will
remain that way. And I'm honored you're here.

PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF: Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I don't
have much to add to what the President has already said. We had a very
wholesome interaction. And all that I would like to say, that I've come
here basically to congratulate the President very sincerely, with all my
sincerity, for having won the elections. And he does me an honor by
receiving me on a Saturday. (Laughter.) And therefore, the other issues
that we discussed were incidental and all the important issues -- the most
important issue, a resolution of the Palestinian dispute, in the interest
of peace in the whole world, and I would repeat whatever the President has
already said: enhancement of our bilateral relations, enhancement of our
commercial ties with the United States.

I'm grateful for the extreme understanding that the President has shown
towards the concerns of Pakistan. Thank you.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Welcome. Welcome.

We'll answer a question from the American side, and the Pakistani side, and
the American side, and Pakistani side. And that will be it, in the spirit
of Saturday morning meetings. And so the first person that will be asking
the question will be Mr. Mark Knoller.

Q Thank you. Mr. President, what do you make of the warning sounded
yesterday by Tommy Thompson that the American food supply may be at risk to
terrorist attack?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Tommy was commenting on the fact that we're a large company
-- country, with all kinds of avenues where somebody can inflict harm. And
we're doing everything we can to protect the American people. I picked a
good man to head the Homeland Security Department in Bernie Kerik. I hope
the Senate confirms him quickly so he can get to work. There's a lot of
work to be done. We've made a lot of progress in protecting our country,
and there's more work to be done. And this administration is committed to
doing it.

Q Mr. President --

PRESIDENT BUSH: Do you want to call on somebody?

PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF: I know that -- I know that you're trying your best to
address the issue of terrorism all over the world, and obviously, the most
important part is to protect your own, the United States from terrorism.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Actually, I wasn't asking you necessarily to answer the
question; I was asking you to call on somebody from the Pakistani press.
I'm sorry. (Laughter.) You don't have to answer every question they ask me.
I would advise you not answering those questions. (Laughter.)

Q Mr. President, the public perception in Pakistan is that Pakistan is
doing much more, deeper cooperation, and doing more favors to the United
States than Pakistan is getting anything in return. What is your comment,
and what is the room for Pak-U.S. relations during your next term?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, first of all, I don't view relations as one that
there's a score card that says, you know, well, if we all fight terror
together, therefore, somebody owes somebody something. This is a world in
which cooperation is essential, and mutual cooperation is really essential
between Pakistan and the United States.

Obviously, there's ways to strengthen our bilateral relations. The
President and I are constantly discussing ways to do so. After all, he is
the strongest advocate for the Pakistan people I have ever met. His duty is
to represent Pakistan, and so, therefore, we talk about ways to enhance
trade. Trade between the United States and Pakistan is good; it can be
better. And we discussed ways to enhance that.

But our cooperation has been very strong. But let me just say something.
Friends don't sit there and have a score card that says, well, he did this,
or he did that, and therefore, somebody is -- there's a deficit. Our
relationship is much bigger than that. Our relationship is one where we
work closely together for the common good of our own people and for the
common good of the world.

Jennifer.

Q Thank you, sir. You've talked repeatedly about how pleased you've been
with President Musharraf's cooperation in the arrest of al Qaeda suspects.
But are you not disappointed that his army has somewhat downgraded the
search for Osama bin Laden?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Quite the contrary. His army has been incredibly active and
very brave in southern Waziristan, flushing out an enemy that had thought
they had found safe haven. His army has suffered casualty, and for that, we
want to thank their loved ones for the sacrifice that their family has
made.

The President has been a determined leader to bring to justice not only
people like Osama bin Laden, but to bring to justice those who would
inflict harm and pain on his own people. Remember, this is a man whose life
had been -- had been threatened by, and still is threatened by al Qaeda
leadership. He's the person who survived two direct assassination attempts.
And there is nobody more dedicated than -- in the protection of his won
people than President Musharraf.

And I am very pleased with his efforts, and his focused efforts, and our
discussions today were to determine how best we can help the President
achieve his objective and -- which is not only protect himself, but protect
his country.

Q Mr. President, it's determined that you have a long vision, long-term
vision between Pakistan and the United States. How would you define it and
how do you see it in the days to come?

PRESIDENT BUSH: I think the long-term vision is one that is a relationship
which is very mature in this sense: that there is a commercial relationship
which is fair and balanced, mutually beneficial to both people; a defense
relationship which is one in which there is close collaboration and
complementary efforts based upon the true threats of the 21st century. And
thirdly, there's a relationship in which I can call upon my friend to help
deal with international issues, such as the development of a Palestinian
state, one in which the aspirations of the Palestinian people are met and
listened to, because democracy has taken hold.

One of the interesting lessons that the world can look at is Pakistan. You
see, there are some in the world who do not believe that a Muslim society
can self-govern. Some believe that the only solution for government in
parts of the world is for there to be tyranny or despotism. I don't believe
that. The Pakistan people have proven that those cynics are wrong. And
where President Musharraf can help in world peace is to help remind people
what is possible. And the solution in the Middle East is for there to be a
world effort to help the Palestinians develop a state that is truly free --
one that's got an independent judiciary, one that's got a civil society,
one that's got the capacity to fight off the terrorists, one that allows
for dissent, one in which people can vote. And President Musharraf can play
a big role in helping achieve that objective.

None of us can convince the Palestinians to say -- or make the Palestinians
adhere to this point of view, but we can help convince them. And that's
precisely what I intend to do. And as a Palestinian state evolves there
will be much more confidence, and when that happens, peace is more likely
to happen.

And I look forward to working with this world leader on that important
issue.

Thank you all for taking time out of your weekend. I know it's been a
disappointment for you to have to work on Saturday, but -- (laughter.) The
press. But, nevertheless --

PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF: Because of me. (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT BUSH: -- the President and I are thrilled you're here. Thank you.

PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF: Thank you very much.

END 10:01 A.M. EST
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