*Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2019 *

**Remarks Prior to a Meeting With Prime Minister Andrej Babiš of the Czech Republic and an Exchange With Reporters **

*March 7, 2019 *

*President Trump.* Well, thank you very much. It's a great honor to have the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic. Prime Minister Babiš and Mrs. Babiš, thank you very much for being here. It's a great honor. Great country.

It's—Czech Republic doing very, very well economically and all other respects. Very safe country. Has always been a very safe country. Strong military, strong people. And we have a very good relationship with the Czech Republic in the United States. We do a lot of trade and a lot of just about everything you could imagine.

But I just want to say, Mr. Prime Minister, it's a great honor to have you. Thank you very much.

*Prime Minister Babiš.* Thank you. Thank you.

*President Trump.* Thank you. Please.

*Prime Minister Babiš.* So, Mr. President, Mrs. Trump, thank you very much for your warm welcome to the White House. It's a great pleasure for me and my wife to be here.

Our countries have been allies since the United States helped establish our first republic 100 years ago. And it's a very symbolic day today, Mr. President, because today is the birthday of our first President, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. And he, by the way, was happily married to an American.

*President Trump.* Ahh. [*Laughter*]

*Prime Minister Babiš.* So we are allies in NATO. We commemorate our joining 20 years ago. We will—it is on next week, on 12 March. And our soldiers are fighting alongside with U.S. soldiers——

*President Trump.* That's right.

*Prime Minister Babiš. *——against the international terrorists.

*President Trump.* That's right.

*Prime Minister Babiš.* Czech Republic is a great country, a small country, but very beautiful and the sixth safest in the world. And this year, we celebrate 30 years since the Velvet Revolution, when the Czech people finally gained democracy and freedom. So Czech people are creative, innovative, great people. You said in Brussels.

*President Trump.* Yes.

*Prime Minister Babiš.* Yes.

*President Trump.* That's true. That's true.

*Prime Minister Babiš.* And with unlimited potentials. And our bilateral business relations are growing.

*President Trump.* Right. *Prime Minister Babiš.* Our investors are investing in the U.S. and already created thousands of jobs.

Mr. President, I watched your 2019 State of the Union Address, and I perfectly understand your plan how to make America great again. I have a similar plan to make the Czech Republic great again.

So I look forward for our discussion about international trade, energy, safety, and threats like cyber attacks and——

*President Trump.* Yes.

*Prime Minister Babiš. *——illegal immigration and, of course, the international terrorists.

So thank you again for—to receive us here.

*President Trump.* Well, thank you very much.

*Prime Minister Babiš.* Thank you. Thank you.

*President Trump.* It really is an honor, and it's a great country, and it is a very creative country. We're working on cyber and many other things together and working very well.

So I just want to thank you both for being with us and on behalf of the First Lady. And you did a great job this morning, I understand, at the State Department. Melania was very well received this morning by a lot of people. So thank you very much. Great.

Thank you, everybody. Thank you very much.

*Q. *Mr. President, Mr. President——

*Former Personal Attorney to the President Michael D. Cohen *

*Q. *Mr. President, is there talk of pardons between your representatives, your lawyers, and Michael Cohen's legal team?

*President Trump.* Thank you all very much.

*Q. *Mr. President, trade between Czech Republic and the United States, it's growing just right now. Very good——

*President Trump.* Say it?

*Q. *——very high numbers. But the potential tariffs on the cars could be very harmful to the Czech economy.

*President Trump.* I don't—I don't understand.

Thank you.

*North Korea *

*Q. *Are you disappointed in Kim Jong Un? Are you disappointed about Kim Jong Un and the nuclear activity in North Korea?

*President Trump.* A little disappointed. A little bit.

*Q. *[*Inaudible*]

*President Trump.* We'll see. We'll let you know in about a year.

NOTE: The President spoke at 1:55 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White House. A reporter referred to Chairman of the State Affairs Commission Kim Jong Un of North Korea. *Categories:* Interviews With the News Media : Exchanges with reporters :: White House; Meetings With Foreign Leaders and International Officials : Czech Republic, Prime Minister Babiš*.*

*Locations: *Washington, DC.

*Names:* Babiš, Andrej; Babišová, Monika; Trump, Melania*.*

*Subjects:* Czech Republic : Economic growth and development; Czech Republic : Prime Minister; Czech Republic : Relations with U.S.; Czech Republic : Trade with U.S.; North Korea : International diplomatic efforts; State, Department of.

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*DCPD Number:* DCPD201900132.