For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 19, 2001
Remarks by President Bush and President de La Rua of Argentina in Photo Opportunity
The Oval Office
3:02 P.M. EDT
PRESIDENT
BUSH: I want to thank the President from Argentina for
coming here. It is my honor to welcome a friend of
America. This is a country that has been our friend for a
long period of time, and I intend to keep our friendship strong, Mr.
President. I appreciate so very much your working hard to
work through the economic difficulties that you've had. You're making
a very strong effort to recover. I know it's been difficult,
but you've been a very strong leader.
I
appreciate, also, your willingness at times to commit troops as
peacekeepers. Your country has been a very strong supporter
of keeping the peace around the world.
I look
forward to telling the President that one of the main strategies of our
foreign policy is to have strong relations in our
hemisphere. It begins with remembering our
friends. The President represents a country that is a close
friend of the United States.
So,
welcome, Mr. President. Bienvenidos a los Estados Unidos.
PRESIDENT
DE LA RUA: Muchas gracias, Senor
Presidente. Thank you very much, Mr.
President. (Speaks in Spanish.)
PRESIDENT
BUSH: Thank you, Mr. President.
Well, I
have a couple of questions from -- the United States will alternate to
the Argentinean press, and back and forth for two rounds.
Ron
Fournier.
Q Thank
you, sir. Mr. President, as part of your -- this is a little
off topic -- as part of your broader review of troop deployments, are
you considering pulling out of the Sinai? And if so, why?
PRESIDENT
BUSH: We are looking at all troop deployments around the
world. Where we can reduce troops without creating
instability, we will do so. One of the things I said during
the course of the campaign and right after my inauguration is that we
would be reviewing and looking at, and analyzing our troop
deployments.
I've always
felt that we're overextended, which creates morale problems within our
military. On the other hand, I understand we've made
commitments, and we just won't simply walk away from our commitments.
We'll consult with our allies. We'll lay the groundwork for
reductions if, in fact, we think it is in our nation's best interest
and the world's interest to keep reductions.
So to
answer your question, we're reviewing all opportunities to reduce the
amount of troops around the world.
Q And
that includes the Sinai as part of that review?
PRESIDENT
BUSH: We're reviewing everyplace we have troops deployed.
Q President
Bush, are you ready to support Argentina to solve economic and social
problems they're facing now?
PRESIDENT
BUSH: We are. Our Treasury Department is working
closely with their counterparts in the Argentinean
government. We want our friend to do well
economically. It is in our interest that a trading partner
of ours be strong economically. We're working closely with
the new Minister of Finance. We're listening to what he's
doing. We believe the country is making
progress. I'm aware of what the country and the leadership
wants to do with the IMF, and we believe we're making good progress
toward a stabilization plan.
That's the
short-term solution, of course, is IMF help that now exists, and
whether or not the IMF is going to provide some kind of latitude toward
the government as it makes strides toward reforms. But
longer-term is what the President talked about, and that is to promote
free trade, free trade all throughout our hemisphere. In one
day's time, we'll both be in Quebec City talking about
trade. And I'm going to be very aggressive about pushing a
free trade agenda for the hemisphere, and I'm so pleased to hear the
President say the same words.
Q Mr.
President, should you look at some --
PRESIDENT
BUSH: Let me say one thing. I think it may make
sense, Mr. President, if you speak a little bit, and then let the
translator translate. Unfortunately, not many people here
speak Spanish, like I do -- (laughter.)
PRESIDENT
DE LA RUA: Thank you very much for your words of support and
trust in our country. But, please, I wouldn't like anyone to
think I have come here to ask Mr. Bush
money. (Laughter.) We do have relations with the
international lending institutions, and our financing is already
insured.
What we
would want is more freedom in trade. And I very much value
the support expressed by Mr. Bush for Argentina, where there are so
many U.S. investments, and definitely, we would like this to increase.
PRESIDENT
BUSH: Grandfather. (Laughter.)
Q Mr.
President, should the U.S. look at easing some of the economic
sanctions on Iran, Iraq and Libya in the interest of getting more oil
into this country?
PRESIDENT
BUSH: You know, we're looking at -- in our energy review,
we're looking at all opportunities to create more energy supply, to
take the pressure off of price. At the same time, I think
it's important for the country to review all sanction policies to make
sure they are effective. And -- but I have no intention as
of this moment for taking sanctions off of countries like Iran or
Libya.
We've made
it clear to the Libyans that the sanctions will remain until such time
as they not only compensate for the bombing of the aircraft, but also
admit their guilt and express remorse.
And as far
as Iran goes, it's too early at this time in our relationships to
really -- it's one thing to consider; it's another thing to act on
sanctions. I don't intend to do that anytime soon.
Uno mas.
Q Mr.
President de la Rua, President Bush wanted the free trade agreement by
the year 2003, but I think Brazil is not too keen on that
idea. So now, we're talking about 2005, which was the
original date at the Summit of the Americas in 1994. Is that
a real possibility, or will that date also pass by?
PRESIDENT
DE LA RUA: The important thing is that agreement has been
reached on that date in Buenos Aires. I celebrate the
generosity and flexibility of Mr. Zoellick, who represented the
President. An agreement was reached by all
countries. In addition to the date, it is important for us
to make progress in terms of the contents. In terms of the
way to build a common market to benefit and integrate all countries.
PRESIDENT
BUSH: Let me say something about that. First of
all, I don't want to dispute, of course, the supposition of your
question. But I was asked -- I think you asked me at a press
conference, would I be pleased to see the date moved up, and the answer
is, of course; the sooner we get a free trade agreement for the
Americas in place, the better off the continent will be.
However, I
recognize reality, and it looks like we're going to be aiming for the
date 2005. But big progress has been made. And
Ambassador Zoellick went down and met with other leaders in our
hemisphere, and we've got the framework for an
agreement. And not only that; after the Summit of the
Americas, we'll be putting out the agreement, itself, or the framework
of the agreement for people to review, so that citizens from all
countries -- this is the first time this has ever happened -- where the
citizens will be able to review the contents of the trade agreement.
But I
appreciate so very much the President's commitment to free
trade. He understands the power of trade, and he understands
the promise of free trade. And I believe you're going to
hear a strong statement at Quebec City that nations of our hemisphere
are bound together by the concept of a free trade
agreement. And it will be good for our people.
Thank you
all for coming.
END 3:15
P.M. EDT
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