    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [March 20, 2002]
    [Pages 471-473]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Interview With TCS
    March 20, 2002

    El Salvador-U.S. Relations

        Q. Ten years after the peace agreement in El Salvador, how do you
    evaluate the current relationship between the U.S. and my country?
        The President. Muy fuerte. I've got, first of all, a good personal
    relationship with El Presidente de su
    pais. He's a very good man. He's a young, strong leader, and I'm
    impressed by him. And everybody in America who's met him is impressed by
    him.
        Secondly, I believe we've got some great opportunities. There's a
    lot of people from your country living here in America, and so we get a
    better sense of your country from them--hard-working, good people.
    Secondly, obviously we've had a chance to cooperate during some of the
    unbelievable

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    natural disasters that affected El Salvador--Hurricane Mitch. And our
    country was very glad to help. We--sorry it happened, but then it
    happened, glad to help.
        And I'm going to go down and talk about trade and the ability for us
    to work together to put together a free trade agreement with Central
    American nations. I think it's a great opportunity. I'm really looking
    forward to the trip. I can't wait to go to El Salvador. It's going to
    be--it's an honor to go.

    Central America-U.S. Free Trade Agreement

        Q. Mr. President, do you consider that the free trade agreement
    between the U.S. and the Central American countries will indeed benefit
    the poorest people in our region?
        The President. Por cierto, por cierto. That's why I'm so anxious to
    do so. The best way to develop jobs, the best way to develop hope and
    opportunity is through trade. A country which trades with the United
    States, for example, or any other country, a vibrant marketplace is
    going to get 8 times more benefit from that trade than they would
    through any foreign aid program.
        Now, we're going to be generous with our foreign aid, and we'll
    help, but trade is really the best chance to help the poor. And that's
    what I'm interested in doing. I know that when somebody starts getting
    jobs available, there's better training. It will lead to better
    education; it will lead to better health care. And so we're anxious to
    promote prosperity, and the best way to do that is through a trade
    agreement.

    Temporary Protected Status

        Q. Deeply inside you, Mr. President, have you made a decision over
    the future of 250,000 Salvadorans currently under TPS?
        The President. TPS? No, but I want--first of all, I was a strong
    supporter of TPS the last time it came up. The TPS authorization--or the
    renewal--won't come up until Septiembre. So this summer I, of course,
    will look at it. I haven't made up my mind yet, but I will tell you, the
    last time I was a strong supporter. I thought it was the right thing to
    do. And one might guess, if I thought it was the right thing to do last
    time--but I will make up my mind this summer.

    War on Terrorism

        Q. Does El Salvador have an important role to play in the global war
    against terrorism?
        The President. Oh, of course, of course. And here it is: Al Qaida
    killers are trying to find places where they can move assets, train,
    move money. They're looking for weak spots. They found one in
    Afghanistan, and we're still bringing them to justice. Any country that
    appears weak or is welcoming to a terrorist organization is one where
    they're likely to go. And what El Salvador can do is continue to be
    strong and say, ``We're not going to tolerate terrorism. We're not going
    to let people come to our country or our neighborhood.'' And they've
    been very strong. President Flores
    has been great on this subject, and I look forward to working with him.
        You bet it's very important for all of us who love freedom to stand
    strong against terrorist organizations, so that they can have no place
    to go. We'll keep them on the run, and we're going to keep them running.
    And they're going to get tired of running. And then, when they do get
    tired of running, we'll bring them to justice.

    El Salvador-U.S. Relations

        Q. People is very anxious, waiting for you, Mr. President, in El
    Salvador. Tiene un mensaje para pueblo Salvadoreno?
        The President. Si, al pueblo de El Salvador, quiero decir eso, tu
    pais es importante para el futuro de mi pais. Yo quiero decir que somos
    amigos, y muchos gracias para la opportunidad de viajar a este pais
    bonita, bella. Y quiero decir que

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    tu Presidente--su Presidente es un
    amigo mio.
        Q. Thank you very much, Mr. President.
        The President. Si, thank you.

    Note: The interview was taped at 10:54 a.m. in the Map Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, the President referred to President Francisco
    Flores Perez of El Salvador. This interview was released by the Office
    of the Press Secretary on March 22. A tape was not available for
    verification of the content of this interview.