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Skriven 2007-06-08 23:31:42 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0706087) for Fri, 2007 Jun 8
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Press Gaggle by Dana Perino
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary June 8, 2007

Press Gaggle by Dana Perino Aboard Air Force One En route Gdansk, Poland

˙˙Press Briefings


3:58 P.M. (Local)

MS. PERINO: Okay, we are aboard Air Force One, on our way to Gdansk, and
then we're going to helo to Jurata. The President will have a greeting with
President Kaczynski, then they'll have a working dinner, and following that
and wrapping it up with a statement. Mrs. Bush will be doing a tour of the
Lighthouse in Jurata, and then dinner with Mrs. Kaczynska.

The purpose of the visit is to spend some time with a close ally and
friend. This is their second actual meeting. They had seen each other also
at the NATO summit. And then, of course, he's going to be coming --
President Kaczynski is coming to the White House on July 16th, we've
already announced that. Obviously, he's a major supporter of the war on
terror, including troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. They help on the freedom
agenda, including Ukraine, Belarus and Cuba. And, of course, as Dan said
this morning, they will talk about missile defense.

And then just a quick wrap up on the G8, I have a couple of meetings to
update you on. Overall, the report was that it was a very positive G8,
great discussions. Obviously, you know about the deal on climate; and, of
course, significant commitments to Africa, with the President leading the
way on his HIV/AIDS proposal and a recognition of a need to work together
with developing countries, including the outreach countries that were there
-- India, China, Mexico, Brazil and South Africa.

During the lunch, the President was able to have -- spent a little bit of
personal time with Prime Minister Singh of India, as well as President Lula
of Brazil, having good conversations there.

I have a little more detail for you on the pull aside that the President
had with President Hu than I do on the others, because there was a
note-taker nearby. They had a good exchange, talked a lot about the
bilateral relationship, especially the successes of the strategic economic
dialogue. As you know, they had that meeting I think just about two weeks
ago in Washington, D.C., and so those discussions will continue. They spoke
about a lot of international issues of concern, focusing mostly on Iran,
the Korean Peninsula and Darfur. President Hu said he wants to increase
diplomatic cooperation in those areas.

In addition to that, they talked about cooperation on energy, the
environment and climate change. And, finally, with -- and enhancing the
trading relationship between the two countries.

I think that's my update, and I'll go to questions, if you have any.

Q Did Hu commit to joining these meetings that the President wants to
convene on climate?

MS. PERINO: I don't know if there was a firm commitment, no. But I do know
that we already cooperate with them on one of the President's initiatives
from I think two or three years ago that he announced, the Asia Pacific
Partnership, in which we share technologies and science and ideas on how to
address the long-term challenges of global climate change. And so when we
have firm invitations that we extend and firm confirmations, we'll be able
to give you that list. We're still targeting the fall for this meeting, and
it would feed into the U.N. framework on climate change.

Q Did it come up with Prime Minister Singh also? Did he secure a commitment
from India?

MS. PERINO: I wish I could tell you for sure, but I just don't know any
details of that conversation. I just know that they were able to meet.

Q Did the President push Hu on sanctions against Sudan?

MS. PERINO: On sanctions, I don't have anything specific on that.
Obviously, one of the things they talked about was that China has just sent
an engineering unit, as well as -- to help build some capacity for the
peacekeepers, and named a special envoy and he has an open channel of
communication with Bashir. So I can't say specifically on sanctions, but
they did have a conversation about Darfur.

Q What about Kosovo, what happened there? I mean, did things fall apart or
did anything move ahead?

MS. PERINO: I certainly never heard that things fell apart, but I don't
have an update for you -- and I know that Dan and I both didn't have that
this morning, and so let me see if I can get that for you and I'll try to
come and find you in Jurata.

Q Do you have a sense of what the President's message will be to President
Kaczynski of Poland on missile defense? What will he tell him in light of
the Putin plan?

MS. PERINO: Well, obviously, I don't know specifics, but as Steve Hadley
said yesterday -- and Dan, this morning -- everything is on the table and
we're going to continue to talk to our partners in NATO, continue to have
conversations with the Czech Republic. The President is going to have a
direct conversation tonight with President Kaczynski. And we're also going
to continue to talk to Russia. President Putin put forward a very
substantial -- I'm sorry, substantive proposal yesterday that needs to be
taken into consideration, along with all the other parts of it.

And so I think what you'll see is a series of conversations, not immediate
answers, on something that is very complex and complicated.

Q Why is the President not meeting with former President Walesa during this
visit?

MS. PERINO: I don't know. Obviously, we're only going to be there for about
three hours -- so we had time in order to make this meeting happen.

Q Is there plans -- were those plans, by any chance, stifled by President
Kaczynski or his brother?

MS. PERINO: No, not at all. Not that I'm aware of. I've never heard that
before.

Q Do you have a comment on the report on the secret prisons that came out
of Paris today?

MS. PERINO: I'm sorry?

Q The report that came out of Paris today, on the CIA prisons?

MS. PERINO: I don't, no. I don't.

Q Dan said this morning that the President had not made any calls overnight
on the immigration bill. Has he done anything in the way of contacting
senators or trying to keep that bill alive?

MS. PERINO: He continues to be regularly briefed. As you know, we just left
a meeting, he was not feeling well this morning, rejoined the G8 meetings
and, obviously, staff back in D.C. is working very hard. We're encouraging
Reid -- Senator Reid to keep the debate open. It's a very important issue;
people want to have conversations about it. To the extent -- if there are
conversations that happen while we're on the plane or before we arrive in
Rome, I'll let you know.

Q How is the President feeling?

MS. PERINO: Still not a hundred percent, but better all the time.

Q Did he eat lunch?

Q And did he keep lunch in his stomach on the helo ride?

MS. PERINO: Yes. No reports of any lunch coming up, no. (Laughter.)

Q -- I asked you before -- because we're going on there later this evening,
what is the President -- what's the message that the President is going to
bring to the Pope? What's the issue?

Q We can't hear.

MS. PERINO: He wants to know the message the President is going to take to
the Pope. I think all I'll be able to say, since I haven't been able to
talk to the President today, is that he said he was really looking forward
to meeting the Pope. He has read some of his works and is very impressed by
the man and thinks it is a fantastic opportunity. He and Mrs. Bush, both,
are really looking forward to meeting him and being a part of tomorrow's
activities at the Vatican.

Q Thank you.

END 4:05 P.M. (Local)
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