[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
[March 23, 2002]
[Pages 491-492]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at a Dinner Hosted by President Alejandro Toledo of Peru in Lima
March 23, 2002

     Mr. President, we're so honored to be here. We want to thank you 
for your invitation. We want to thank you for the hospitality that you 
and the First Lady have shown us. And we 
want to thank you all for coming.
    I want to thank my friends the President of Colombia y de Bolivia y 
tambien el Vice Presidente de Ecuador. 
Thank you all for being here as well.
    I have come to Peru to congratulate the President and the people of 
Peru for embracing the institutions of democracy. It is such an 
important example for the world to see. I have come to Peru to thank the 
people of Peru and the President of Peru for the condolences that you 
sent to mi pais on September the 11th. We appreciate your prayers; we 
appreciate your condolences; and we appreciate your firm stand in the 
fight against terror.
    And I bring with me the condolences of the American people for those 
lives and the families whose lives were affected as a result of the 
cowardly bombing that took place in Lima last week.
    I come in the spirit of respect and cooperation, respect for the 
people of Peru and the desire to cooperate to advance trade and commerce 
and prosperity and education and health. I see a great future in our 
relationship, and I see a great future for the great country of Peru.
    So it's my honor to be here tonight to toast my friend el 
Presidente, the First Lady, and the 
people of this gran pais.

Note: The President spoke at 8:41 p.m. in the Presidential Palace. In 
his remarks, he referred to President Toledo's wife, Eliane Karp Toledo; 
President Andres Pastrana of Colombia; President Jorge Fernando Quiroga 
Ramirez of Bolivia; and Vice President Pedro Pinto Rubianes of Ecuador. 
A tape was not available for verification of the content of these 
remarks.



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