For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 10, 2005
President and President Saakashvili Discuss NATO, Democracy
Parliament Building
Tbilisi, Georgia
10:27 A.M. (Local)
PRESIDENT SAAKASHVILI: I'll say a few words in English. I want to
welcome you, Mr. President, for this historic occasion. You know,
right now we have in the streets of Tbilisi, as they are telling me,
more than 150,000 people assembled, and I can tell you, no event in the
history of this country has ever assembled anything close to these
numbers. It shows the importance of this visit.
I can tell you, and you were seeing, yesterday crowds --
unfortunately, I didn't see them on the networks -- I mean, there were
CNN and the others -- but they were there and we could see them, the
crowds along the airport. And of course, it was very genuine. This is
not North Korea here; you cannot tell people to go out unless -- if
they don't feel like it. (Laughter.) And it was a very -- I mean, for
me, it was something very emotional. The posters they made were very
emotional.
You know, outside this building, 18 months ago, also 100,000
Georgians came in defense of democracy with a dream of living free.
And in the weeks and months after the Rose Revolution, no country stood
closer to Georgia than the United States, whether it was diplomatic
support, economic aid, security assistance, or --, the United States
was there. For this support, the Georgian people will be eternally
grateful.
So I once again, want to welcome Mr. President to Georgia. The
partnership between the U.S. and Georgia is about more, and we should
make it very clear the strategic interests -- more than oil pipelines,
more than any kind of economic or military cooperation; it's about
shared values and our shared belief in freedom and in democracy.
And President Bush is a man of vision who believes in the triumph
of liberty over forces of tyranny. I know he was also inspired by our
journey toward democracy. President Bush is in Georgia because we
agree that free people cannot rest while tyranny exists. We know that
our liberty must be defended from those who seek to extinguish it. And
of course, when we are together, that's much more hopeful and much more
efficient.
That's why over 800 troops are in Iraq -- Georgian troops
side-by-side with the Americans, and Iraqis and many others, to defeat
those who live only to kill, to enslave, to frighten people. That is
why Georgians are in Afghanistan, and NATO-led missions, and that is
why we appreciate the U.S. support for our NATO aspirations, just like
the U.S. supported Ukraine on its NATO aspirations.
The United States supports the total integrity of Georgia within
its internationally recognized borders. We appreciate this support and
recognize our responsibilities. We will peacefully resolve our
disputes with our long-suffering South Ossetian and Abkhaz citizens and
the territories. We will widen and deepen our democratic reforms to
better the lives of Georgians. And we seek friendly relations with all
our neighbors. And we know we can count on the support of the United
States in all these vital tasks.
Mr. President, you are a decisive and visionary leader. Georgia is
humbled and honored that you have come to visit our small country, but
great land. We Georgians have a belief that guests are a gift from
God, and you are a most treasured guest. Mr. President, welcome.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you, Mr. President. I'm -- first, I'm so
grateful for your hospitality. Laura and I really enjoyed our time
last night. I learned firsthand what it means to be fed by a
Georgian. I'm really full. (Laughter.) And the food was great. I
should have eaten my meal first, and then danced. (Laughter.)
The cultural dancing and singing was spectacular. It was really
impressive. And I want to thank those who put on the performance last
night.
I also appreciate our visit today. We had a very frank
discussion. That's what I like about the President. He speaks his
mind. If he's got something on his mind, he'll tell you. What I find
on his mind is very refreshing; he loves democracy and loves freedom,
and he loves the people of Georgia.
The Rose Revolution was a powerful moment in modern history. It
not only inspired the people of Georgia, it inspired others around the
world that want to live in a free society. I think people will look
back at this moment in history and be -- and marvel at the courage of
people who have said, I want generations to grow up in a hopeful
world.
And so, Mr. President, thank you for setting such a good example,
you and your people. I appreciate the reforms you have put in place
here. Georgia has come a long way very quickly. The President
recognizes there's a lot of work to be done to leave the foundations,
institutional foundations in place, so that no one will ever be able to
overturn democracy. That's an independent judiciary, rule of law, free
media. He was complaining about the media, which is a good sign.
(Laughter.) It means you're free. I sometimes complain about ours,
but not too publicly, of course.
I'm looking forward to the meeting with members of the civil
society. The President kindly set up a meeting where I will remind
people that a truly democratic society is one that honors and respects
minorities. This is a very diverse country. You've had a great
tradition of honoring minorities in this country, and your democracy
will continue to do so.
We talked about NATO. The President is very clear about his
intentions to meet the obligations to join NATO. And, Mr. President,
we look forward to working with you to meet those obligations. NATO is
a very important alliance for the United States of America. It's a
place where we have our strategic conversations with our transatlantic
friends, and we want to help you achieve your objective there.
I thank the President again; I want to thank the people of Georgia
for contributing troops to Iraq and Afghanistan. You've got a fine
group of people that are helping serve the cause of freedom. We
discussed the way forward in Iraq, discussed the importance of a
democracy in the greater Middle East in order to leave behind a
peaceful tomorrow. We talked about the peaceful resolution of regional
issues. And I look forward to working with the President on his
request, if he so chooses, to help deal with some of these issues, like
stuff he says here --*. But one of the things that I was most
appreciative of is his full understanding of the need and the desire to
settle these issues peacefully. And I'm confident, with good work and
cooperation, we can solve them peacefully. He can solve them
peacefully, with our help.
This has been a visit I've really been looking forward to. I look
forward to going into Freedom Square -- think about that -- Freedom
Square -- to represent my country and to give our thanks to the
Georgian people for the example they've set, and the pledge to the
Georgian people that you've got a solid friend in America.
Thank you, Mr. President.
PRESIDENT SAAKASHVILI: Thank you, Mr. President. So we'll have,
like, two questions each. First, I guess, Georgian journalists, and
then whoever.
Q Shall I ask the question in Georgian?
PRESIDENT BUSH: You can ask anybody you want. You can ask me --
Q I have a question to President Bush. Did you have a
conversation with Putin regarding the military bases, with old military
bases from Georgia? Do you think this question and this issue will be
the decision of the OSCE Summit?
PRESIDENT BUSH: This question was about the presence of military
troops -- Russian troops in Georgia. We discussed this at the meeting
with President Putin at his house. He knew that I was coming to
Georgia, of course. I said I was looking forward to talking to my
friend, President Saakashvili, and was confident that the issue of
military bases would come up. After all, we discussed this --
(inaudible) -- and I've discussed this issue with the Russians before,
as well. So this isn't the first time I've had this conversation with
President Putin on this issue. -- (inaudible) -- an agreement in place
-- (inaudible) -- said to the Russians, we want to work with the
government to fulfill -- (inaudible) -- and I think that is a
commitment, an important commitment for the people of Georgia to hear,
and it's a -- it shows there's grounds for work to get this issue
resolved.
Jennifer.
Q Sir, how important is it for the United States to step into
issues like that troop issue, to ensure democratic progress? And also,
does your commitment to democracy mean that separatist regions deserve
independence -- deserve independence if they want it?
PRESIDENT BUSH: Two points to that question. One, my commitment
to democracy means that democracies can solve their problems in
peaceful ways. And in terms of separatist movements within a -- within
Georgia, that, one, the issue can be resolved peacefully; secondly, it
will be resolved in a transparent way. The President has put a way
forward that encourages autonomy and self-government, but does not
encourage dividing up this great country. It would seem like to me to
be a very reasonable proposition. But his commitment, and an important
commitment, is one that this issue will be resolved peacefully.
And secondly, it's always important for the United States to stand
strongly for democracy and freedom. That's what we believe in. And so
standing with the President of Georgia should send a message that we
embrace freedom movements and we stand with young democracies and we
want to help where we can help build the institutions that outlast the
moment, so that future generations of Georgians can grow up in a free
society. And we've got a great partner in President Saakashvili. He
is a strong believer in democracy. And I appreciate his leadership on
the issue.
PRESIDENT SAAKASHVILI: Well, just to add one thing, that certainly
I believe that -- I believe in strong self-government. I myself came
to this -- to my office from self-government. I know what
self-government means. I know how people can feel strongly about their
identities. Georgia's strength is its diversity. It's not its
weakness, it's our strength.
Now, the problem with those regions are, especially with Abkhazia,
that they're throughout almost whole populations.* So we are talking
about democratic choice. First, those people should be able to regain
their property, to regain their right to there, to regain their right
to be safe, and rules for their self-government, rules for autonomy,
rules for all kind of arrangement that would materialize their rights.
It's not like this, that you throw out the people and then you hold
elections with ten percent of the population to decide, and you call it
democracy. It's not democracy, it's something else. And that's why
it's so important to speak about peace, about peaceful settlements,
about democratic choices within the framework of peace, because when
guns speak, then people cannot materialize their rights. That's
obvious for us. And we suffered a lot, and this region suffered enough
from the conflicts and we don't want any more of them. And this is our
very strong position.
Q Question to Mr. Bush. You discussed the settlement -- in
Georgia, and United States will play an active role in this process.
In specific, what kind of help United States can offer to Georgia for
conflict resolution? Because Georgian government has a position to
settle this resolution peacefully and this conflict peaceful. Do you
think that the main problem is outside force?
PRESIDENT BUSH: -- (inaudible) -- disputes. And first, I'm
confident that the government of Georgia has got a good society go move
forward to resolve the disputes. And obviously, if the President were
to call and want me to make a phone call or two, I'd be more than happy
to do so. But this is a dispute that is going to be resolved by the
Georgian government and by the folks in the separatist regions.
The United States cannot impose a solution, nor would you want us
to. But what we can do is we can help. We can work with international
bodies and work with the U.N., for example. We can work with other
groups, all aimed at helping resolve this issue peacefully. But this
is an issue that will be resolved by the duly-elected government of
Georgia in a peaceful way. And the President has, as just mentioned,
reached out in a constructive way, suggested autonomy and
self-government, but he doesn't want to -- he wants the country to
remain intact. And we're more than willing. And, listen, we talk
quite often. When he calls, if he's got some suggestions where I can
-- where he thinks I can help and I think it makes sense, I will be
glad to do so.
Q Did you get President Putin to see the importance of
democracies on his border? And you've also complimented a recent
speech he gave on democracy. But has he taken any concrete steps to
satisfy your concerns?
PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, he gave the speech, I think, three days ago,
and it was -- or maybe four or five days ago -- it was a very
constructive speech, I thought, where he did talk about the benefits of
democracy for his people. And democracies are peaceful countries. And
when you have peaceful countries on your border, it -- you benefit.
And Georgia is a peaceful country. Georgia is a democracy. The people
here are trying to right the wrongs of the past and move forward. The
President spends a lot of time talking to me about economic
improvements, entrepreneurship and small businesses, and vitality of
the economy so people can make a living. And when you have countries
focused on the needs of the people, it tends to make them peaceful
neighbors.
And so, over time, any country will recognize the benefits of
democracy on her border. And I'm confident Russia will recognize the
benefits of having democracies on her border. And Georgia is a great
example of a peaceful democracy, that wants to resolve whatever
lingering disputes there may be in a peaceful fashion.
And so I want to, one, again thank the President for his
hospitality and for setting such a vivid example of what is possible
when the people speak. And it's this democratic movement that took
place here in Georgia that is going to help transform the greater
Middle East. And that's important for people in Georgia and around the
world to understand, that democracies in the greater Middle East will
make the world a more peaceful place. A democracy in Iraq will send
such a strong and vivid example to others about what is possible. And
democracies are peaceful societies. And one of the things that we all
long for -- at least I long for, I'm confident the President does, as
well -- is to leave behind a more peaceful world for our children and
grandchildren.
So, thank you, Mr. President. Thank you all for the press
conference.
PRESIDENT SAAKASHVILI: Thank you.
END 10:46 A.M. (Local)
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