[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 23 (Monday, June 13, 2005)]
[Pages 973-974]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
<R04>
Remarks Following Discussions With President Roh Moo-hyun of South Korea
and an Exchange With Reporters
June 10, 2005
President Bush. It's my honor to welcome the President of our very
close ally to the Oval Office. I'll have a statement; the President will
have a statement. Then I'll answer two questions from the American
press.
I first want to express my country's deepest condolences for the
accident that took place, where a U.S. military vehicle killed a Korean
woman. And we send our deepest sympathies to the woman's families. And,
Mr. President, I just want you to know our heart--our hearts are sad as
a result of this incident.
The President and I had a very long discussion about very important
issues. And we'll continue this discussion over lunch. And the reason
why we've had a serious discussion on important issues is because we're
strategic partners and allies and friends.
I appreciate the President's good advice, and we share the same
goals, peace on the Korean Peninsula and peace throughout the world. We
share the same goals: We want our peoples to grow up in a peaceful
society that's a prosperous society.
And so, Mr. President, welcome. Thank you for coming, and thank you
for your friendship.
President Roh. I thank you for your warm welcome, and I also thank
you for the opportunity for us to engage in extensive discussions on
various issues. I also thank you, Mr. President, for your warm message
of condolence regarding the unfortunate incident involving U.S. forces
Korea.
This is my fourth meeting with you, Mr. President, and my second
visit to the United States. And every time we meet together, Mr.
President, questions abound regarding the possible existence of
differences between Korea and the United States surrounding the North
Korea nuclear issue. But every time I meet you, Mr. President, in
person, I come to the realization that there indeed is no difference
between our two sides with regard to the basic principles. In fact,
we're in full and perfect agreement on the basic principles. And
whatever problem arises in the course of our negotiations and talks, we
will be able to work them out under close consultations.
There are, admittedly, many people who worry about potential discord
or cacophony between the two powers of the alliance. But after going
through our discussion today, Mr. President, I realize once again that
with regard to all the matters and all the issues of great importance,
we were able to deal with them and we were able to bring closure to them
smoothly. And I am very certain that our alliance remains solid and will
continue to remain solid and staunch in the future as well.
To be sure, there are one or two minor issues, but I'm also quite
certain that we will be able to work them out very smoothly through
dialog in the period ahead. How do you feel, Mr. President? Wouldn't you
agree that the alliance is strong and everything is working----
President Bush. I would say the alliance is very strong, Mr.
President. And I want to thank you for your frank assessment of the
situation on the Peninsula. And I'm looking forward to having lunch with
you. I'm hungry, like you are. [Laughter]
So I'm going to answer two questions, first from Tom [Tom Raum,
Associated Press].
Situation in North Korea
Q. Mr. President, just two days ago, the Vice Foreign Minister of
North Korea said they do have a nuclear arsenal and they're building
more. Doesn't statements like that make it--suggest that North Korea
will not come back to the bargaining table? And doesn't it make it
harder to bridge the kinds of differences that do remain between the
U.S. and South Korea?
[[Page 974]]
President Bush. No, I--South Korea and the United States share the
same goal, and that is a Korean Peninsula without a nuclear weapon. And
that's what we've been discussing, how best to do that. And the
President and I both agree the six-party talks are essential to saying
to Mr. Kim Chong-il that he ought to give up his weapons. We're making
it very clear to him that the way to join the community of nations is to
listen to China and South Korea and Japan and Russia and the United
States--and that is to give up nuclear weapons. And we'll continue to
work, to have one voice.
We laid out a way forward last June that is a reasonable proposal,
and we're still awaiting the answer to that proposal. But today's
meeting should make it clear that South Korea and the United States are
of one voice on this very important issue.
Steve [Steve Holland, Reuters].
Q. Sir, are there any inducements you're willing to offer to get
North Korea back to the talks? And if I could ask about Syria as well.
President Bush. Steve, first of all, the first part of your two-part
question is this: Last June we did lay out a way forward. And it's just
not the United States; this was a plan that the United States and South
Korea and China and Japan and Russia put on the table. And the plan is
still there, and it's full of inducements.
The second part, on Syria----
Syria
Q. Is it your feeling that Syria still has intelligence operatives
in Lebanon, and are they carrying out targeted political killings?
President Bush. Well, I've been disturbed by reports I read in
today's newspaper that said that Syrian intelligence officers might
still be in Lebanon and might still be there. And our message--and it's
not just the message of the United States; the United Nations has said
the same thing--is that in order for Lebanon to be free, is for Syria to
not only remove her military but to remove intelligence officers as
well. And obviously, we're going to follow up on these troubling
reports, and we expect the Syrian Government to follow up on these
troubling reports.
Listen, thank you all very much.
Note: The President spoke at 12:17 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White
House. In his remarks, he referred to Chairman Kim Chong-il of North
Korea. A reporter referred to Vice Foreign Minister Kim Gye-gwan of
North Korea. A tape was not available for verification of the content of
these remarks.