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Skriven 2005-02-22 23:32:54 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0502223) for Tue, 2005 Feb 22
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President and Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer Discuss NATO Meeting
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 22, 2005

President and Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer Discuss NATO Meeting
Joseph Luns Press Theatre
NATO Headquarters
Belgium, Brussels



2:45 P.M. (Local)

SECRETARY GENERAL DE HOOP SCHEFFER: Good afternoon. Very good afternoon to
you. Let me start by -- this press conference by echoing what was said many
times around the table this morning, and that is, thanks to President Bush
that he is here, showing the continued commitment to NATO so shortly after
his inauguration. I mean, I would be unfaithful to the discussion if I
didn't start like this. So let me say once again on my own behalf, Mr.
President, thank you for being here, thank you for coming.

What did we discuss, what have I heard today? I have heard strong support
for the Atlantic Alliance. I have heard strong support for the common
values that bind us, in the past, in the present, and in the future. I have
heard strong support for NATO's operations and missions; strong support for
what we are doing in Afghanistan and our further ambitions; strong support
for the training mission in Iraq, where we have further ambitions in
setting up the training academy, and where we have now fully manned and
financed what we committed to do. And you know it's the Iraqi government's
first priority, training the Iraqi security forces so that their dependence
on others can be less than it is at the moment.

I heard strong support for our continued presence in Kosovo and stability
in the Balkans. I've heard a discussion on the importance of a strong
NATO-EU partnership. At length, government leaders have this day discussed
the political role of NATO, the stronger political role of NATO, and there
was a lot of support for what I have been saying over the past eight, nine
months that this political role is important, that NATO is a
political-military alliance, and that we should not shy away from
discussing political subjects of relevance.

Many remarks and interventions were made on the Middle East, the importance
of NATO's Mediterranean dialogue, which is being strengthened; the
importance of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative for the activities of
NATO in this very pivotal region where security and stability is not only
important for the region, but far beyond. Of course, the hopes for progress
in the Israeli-Palestinian question were discussed, and I think it's
important that, by outreaching into the region, NATO follow this process,
although it does not play a primary role.

Of course, let me come back to Ukraine this morning. There is strong
support, strong support, first of all, for NATO's bottom line, which is
NATO has an open door for those European democracies who fulfill the
obligations, strong support for giving President Yushchenko, in his
challenging endeavor to bring Ukraine closer to Euro-Atlantic integration,
to support him in that respect.

In other words, because I want to be brief, it was an excellent summit. It
was an excellent summit, it was an excellent idea of the President to come
here, to have this summit here and now, because there is a daunting and
challenging task and a daunting and challenging agenda waiting for NATO.
And we'll go for that agenda. And I'll make proposals in the
not-too-distant future on this political role for NATO. And the atmosphere
was excellent, and that was the way it should be, because what binds us are
the values. We'll discuss them, we'll have difference of opinion, yes, from
time to time, but there is a lot more we agree upon, and that is the bottom
line. And that's the basis for this great alliance, and that's the way, I,
in my responsibility, having this privilege of being Secretary General, I
will run the alliance.

Mr. President.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you, sir. It's good to be back here, to the NATO
Headquarters. This is my first trip overseas of my second term, and I'm
proud to make the home of NATO my first stop. And I appreciate the
invitation. You've done a fine job of running the meetings. You're doing a
fine job of being the Secretary General, I want you to know, and I
appreciate all our friends who were around the table today for their strong
commitment to NATO.

It was a healthy dialogue. And that strong commitment is important. After
all, NATO is the most successful alliance in the history of the world --
think about that, the most successful alliance in the history of the world.
Because of NATO, Europe is whole and united and at peace. And that's a
milestone in the history of liberty.

NATO is the home for nine former members of the Warsaw Pact. You know, the
leaders of those countries, when they sit around the table bring such
vitality to the discussions that we have. See, it's still fresh in their
memories what it meant to live in a society that wasn't free. I said in my
remarks today that, you know, sometimes you can take a relationship for
granted, and it was very important for us not to take the NATO relationship
for granted.

One thing is for certain; the newly admitted countries don't take NATO for
granted. As a matter of fact, they add a vitality to the discussions that I
find refreshing and hopeful. NATO is an important organization, and the
United States of America strongly supports it.

I appreciate so very much the transformation of NATO that's taking place.
In order for NATO to be vital it's got to be relevant, and if it stays
stuck in the past it's slowly but surely going to fade into oblivion. But
it's not staying stuck in the past. We've created a NATO response force --
and I want to thank you for your leadership on that, Jaap -- in the
chemical and biological and radiological and nuclear battalion. The NATO
command structure is streamlined.

NATO is involved in the Middle East, a world -- a part of the world
desperate for freedom. And I want to thank you for your leadership on that.
And we had a lot -- spent a lot of time talking about the NATO contribution
to Afghanistan, and it is real and it is important and it is substantial.
And more countries are committed to providing help for the RPTs, as well as
the upcoming elections, and I'm most grateful.

And then we discussed the NATO contribution in Iraq. First, many member
countries have sent troops into Iraq as a part of the liberation of Iraq.
And I thanked them there, and I reminded them that every life is precious,
and we appreciate the sacrifices being made by their citizens. But 26
nations sat around the table saying, let's get the past behind us, and now
let's focus on helping the world's newest democracy succeed. And I
appreciated the contributions. And the NATO training mission is an
important mission, because, after all, the success of Iraq depends upon the
capacity and the willingness of Iraqis to defend their own selves against
terrorists.

So the discussions were fruitful. The Ukraine -- the meeting with President
Yushchenko was, I thought, historic. I thought it was really interesting,
to be sitting next to a person -- the Secretary General put me right next
to President Yushchenko -- who had just led a revolution, a peaceful
revolution, based upon the same values that we hold dear. And it was a
remarkable moment, I thought.

And we -- at least in my intervention, and other interventions, we welcomed
President Yushchenko, and reminded him that NATO is a performance-based
organization, and that the door is open, but it's up to President
Yushchenko and his government and the people of Ukraine to adapt the
institutions of a democratic state. And NATO wants to help, and we pledged
help. I pledged my own government's help to a fund that will help get rid
of Madpads -- MANPADS, and certain different types of weapons. In other
words, the country has got work to do, but we want to help them achieve
that work. It was a remarkable moment. I appreciate you inviting him, Jaap,
to come.

We also look forward to working with Albania, Croatia and Macedonia, as
these states participate in NATO's Membership Action Plan. All in all, the
meeting was really important. I am really glad I came. It gave me a chance
to say that the relationship between the United States and Europe is a
vital relationship, a necessary relationship, an important relationship,
and our relationship within NATO is the cornerstone of that relationship.
So, Jaap, thank you for your hospitality. Glad to be here.

Q Mr. President, European countries are talking about lifting their 15-year
arms embargo on China. What would be the consequences of that? And could it
be done in a way that would satisfy your concerns?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, I talked about this issue with President Chirac last
night, and Prime Minister Blair, and I intend to talk about it here in a
couple of hours at the European Union meeting. We didn't discuss the issue
at NATO, by the way. And here's what I explained. I said, there is deep
concern in our country that a transfer of weapons would be a transfer of
technology to China, which would change the balance of relations between
China and Taiwan, and that's of concern. And they, to a person, said, well,
they think they can develop a protocol that isn't -- that shouldn't concern
the United States. And I said I'm looking forward to seeing it and that
they need to make sure that if they do so, that they sell it to the United
States Congress, but the Congress will be making the decisions as to
whether or not -- as to how to react to what will be perceived by some,
perhaps, as a technology transfer to China.

But it was an important dialogue. It was a very open dialogue. There's no
-- it was very constructive. And so they will, as I understand it -- and I
don't want to put words in people's mouth, but I am told that there is a --
that they've heard the concerns of the United States, they're listening to
the concerns of the administration, as first articulated by Secretary of
State Rice, and they know the Congress's concern. And so they will try to
develop a plan that will ease concerns. Now, whether they can or not, we'll
see.

Q So do you think it will fly?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Pardon me? I don't know. It's all speculation at this
point. The purpose of this trip has been to articulate concerns that are
being expressed throughout the government, both in the executive branch and
legislative branch, about the decision -- or the potential decision. And
I've been listening. And you might call this a listening tour, that people
have got things on their mind and they want me to hear it, and part of what
they've got on their mind is the dialogue that's taking place with China
and the European Union.

Q Mr. President, about a week ago in Munich, we have had the old and the
new Rumsfeld --

PRESIDENT BUSH: Same old Bush. (Laughter.)

Q But the new Rumsfeld is still saying the mission determines the
coalition. What does that mean, exactly, Mr. President? Does that mean
that, for you, this alliance, NATO, is just one tool in the American tool
box to face crisis?

PRESIDENT BUSH: No -- you're going to have to ask Secretary Rumsfeld what
he meant by that when he said it. I'll tell you what I think -- and since
I'm his boss, it's probably pretty relevant. (Laughter.) I think it is the
vital relationship for the United States when it comes to security. And it
is a relationship that is -- has worked in the past and is adjusting so
that it works in the future. It's a relationship and a organization that
needs to make sure that its capabilities meet the threats of the 21st
century. And so this is a vital relationship.

And as the Secretary General mentioned, that there needs to be a political
component, a place for us to come and have a strategic dialogue. He has
raised that issue, Chancellor Schrder raised the issue. And everybody heard
Chancellor Schrder loud and clear; everybody heard the Secretary General
loud and clear -- and that is, is that in order for NATO to be relevant, it
has to be a place where people feel comfortable about talking about
strategic issues.

And we do talk about strategic issues. And what Jaap has just said -- and
you're welcome to clarify what you just said, if you feel like it -- but as
he said, he's going to come back with an action plan to make sure that
NATO's relevance is strong, not only to have the capabilities necessary to
defend our respective securities, but as a place for us to have meaningful
dialogue. Isn't that what you said?

SECRETARY GENERAL DE HOOP SCHEFFER: I could start, by adding, of course,
it's young Bush and young de Hoop Scheffer, who are talking here.
(Laughter.) I mean, that goes without saying. (Laughter.)

To come back to your question, it is, indeed, as President Bush has said,
it is -- NATO is a political-military organization. And when we want in the
areas where we operate -- be it Afghanistan, be it Kosovo, in Iraq -- if
NATO wants to go on keeping the public parliamentary support for its
operations and for its missions, we really need to discuss the key
political questions surrounding those operations and missions.

And you cannot deny that when NATO is reinforcing its Mediterranean
dialogue, when NATO is reaching out into the broader Middle East -- and you
know that the reactions have been very positive up until now -- it is
relevant for the NATO alliance to discuss these issues in the broader
sense. You can't do the one without the other. And as President Bush is
saying, this is the path. I'll try to lead, because a vital alliance means
that this alliance is a vital political-military organization. That is the
object of the exercise, to say it like this.

Q Thank you, sir. Some of the contributions on Iraq involve only a few
people, modest amounts of money. Is this going to be enough, or is largely
symbolic?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, first of all, when you look around the table, Steve,
that you see countries that have made enormous contributions, and the
biggest contribution of all is when they've sent a person into combat and
that person lost their life. That is a significant contribution. And the
United States of America is grateful for those contributions and we honor
every life. The key is to make sure that those lives that were lost don't
go down in vain; that a free and democratic and peaceful country emerges.
Every contribution matters.

Twenty-six nations sitting around that table said it's important for NATO
to be involved in Iraq. That's a strong statement. And NATO is involved in
Iraq, and NATO is doing a vital mission, which is to help an officer corps
emerge. The truth of the matter is, in order for Iraq to be a secure
country, there has to be a chain of command that is effective and works, so
that commands go from a political body to a military, and the military
commands goes down, so that people enact the orders in order to keep the
people safe. That is what has to happen. And NATO is providing an officer
training mission, which is vital.

Every contribution matters, and every country ought to be proud of the fact
that they're contributing to the world's newest democracy. This
organization is an organization that's based upon values -- values that
have stood the test of time, values that are universal, and values that are
necessary for the world to be peaceful. And the contributions made into
Iraq are based upon those values. And I am grateful.

Q I have two questions -- one for the President, and one for the Secretary
General.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Finally, he got a question. (Laughter.)

Q Well, I'll put my question first to you, Mr. President. The wider
European audience, it won't be a surprise for you, is still skeptical about
the policies of your administration, often being considered as dictating or
unilateral. Now on this trip, you have launched a sort of major charm
offensive, at least the Europeans will see it that way. (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, thank you. I appreciate it. First time I've been
called charming in a while. (Laughter.)

Q But the question is, what are you going to do really differently in your
second term to improve transatlantic relations?

And for the Secretary General, the question is, what should the Europeans
do to improve transatlantic relations?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, our bilateral relations are very strong with many
countries, like your country. We've had four years, great relations. And --
matter of fact, last night, my dinner with President Chirac reminded me
that except for one major issue, and that being Iraq, we've done a lot
together in my first four years. If you think about it, we've participated
in Afghanistan together, we've participated in Haiti, we're working on the
Global Fund to battle AIDS. I mean, there's a lot we have done together.

The major issue that irritated a lot of Europeans was Iraq. I understand
that. I can figure it out. And the key now is to put that behind us, and to
focus on helping the new democracy succeed. It's in our interests. It's in
your country's interests, it's in my country's interests that democracy
take hold in the greater Middle East.

The policy in the past used to be, let's just accept tyranny, for the sake
of -- well, you know, cheap oil, or whatever it may be, and just hope
everything would be okay. Well, that changed on September the 11th for our
nation. Everything wasn't okay. Beneath what appeared to be a placid
surface lurked an ideology based upon hatred. And the way to defeat that
ideology is to spread freedom and democracy. That's what NATO understands,
see. That's one of the reasons why -- NATO is one of the reasons why Europe
is whole and free and at peace, because democracies defeat hatred and
suspicion.

And so I will explain -- continue to explain as best I can to skeptical
people about my policy, that it's based on the concept that we all share,
no matter your views on Iraq or not. And that is: Every human being
deserves to be free, and that human dignity is vital, and that free
societies are peaceful societies. And I will make a commitment again to
you, just like I made yesterday and will continue to make, that I'll take
those values into the Middle Eastern peace process. As I said in my State
of the Union, peace is within reach. That's right about here. And we've got
to work together to achieve that.

And so my message is, is that the past is -- I made some hard decisions --
as did other leaders, by the way, in Europe -- about how to enforce 17
different United Nations resolutions on Iraq. Not one resolution, but 17
different resolutions. And we liberated Iraq and that decision has been
made, it's over with, and now it's time to unify for the sake of peace.

And I believe that message -- I believe -- forget the charm part; I believe
that message is a message that people can understand. And they're beginning
to see that the strategy is working. Millions of people of voted in
Afghanistan. I doubt many of you here were writing articles about, "Oh,
gosh, the elections in Afghanistan are going to be incredibly successful."
It didn't seem like it was possible, did it? But, yet, there's something in
everybody's soul, in my judgment, that desires to be free. And the people
of Afghanistan showed that, by the millions -- not by the handfuls, but by
the millions -- when given a chance to vote. Same in Iraq. And there was an
election in Ukraine -- two elections in Ukraine. And then there was the
election in the Palestinian Territory. Freedom is on the march, is the way
I like to put it. And the world is better off for it. And I look forward to
continue to articulate how we can work together to keep freedom on the
march.

Thank you all very much.

SECRETARY GENERAL DE HOOP SCHEFFER: Let me --

PRESIDENT BUSH: Oh, I'm sorry.

SECRETARY GENERAL DE HOOP SCHEFFER: No, no, no --

PRESIDENT BUSH: He gave me a hand signal that said he didn't want to
answer. (Laughter.) You don't know what this means. (Laughter.) That means
"end the press conference." (Laughter.)

SECRETARY GENERAL DE HOOP SCHEFFER: I signaled to the President this was
too difficult a question, but I, nevertheless, answer very briefly.

NATO is 26 -- not 25 plus one or 24 plus two. NATO showed today that these
26 allies in Europe or the United States of America or Canada will, and
must, strengthen this alliance, this very successful alliance, which is
doing with the West and European participation, all the things I started to
discuss in my introduction.

Second remark would be that European integration, including in security and
defense matters, is important, but in that area, it's of the utmost
importance that also that process takes place in complementarity with NATO
and without duplication. That's important for NATO, it's important for
European Union. That's why I want this wide NATO-EU agenda that's relevant.
European integration is a great process, and I always say I'm an
Atlantasist and I'm European. But here is the point. Where we are now
standing in NATO Headquarters, where we see the primary forum for
transatlantic security cooperation, and we'll do that at 26, and not at 24
plus two, or 25 plus one.

Thank you very much.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Now we're finished. (Laughter.)

END 3:07 P.M. (Local)

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