    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [October 1, 2003]
    [Page 1219]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Prior to Discussions With Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan
    Jamali of Pakistan
    October 1, 2003

        President Bush. Listen, Mr. Prime Minister, thank you. It's my honor
    to welcome you to the Oval Office. I look forward to our discussions. We
    will have discussions here in the Oval Office. Then we'll go to have
    lunch. And over lunch we'll discuss a wide range of issues: Our mutual
    desire to fight terror; our keen desire to bring stability and peace
    throughout the world; look forward to discussions about our bilateral
    relations in regards to commerce and opportunities to enhance the
    livelihood of our fellow citizens.
        There's a lot of Pakistani Americans who are pleased you are here
    today, sir. And on their behalf, I welcome you to the Oval Office. And
    it gives me a chance to say publicly how much we appreciate the
    friendship of Pakistan.
        Prime Minister Jamali. Thank you, Mr. President.
        President Bush. You're welcome.
        Prime Minister Jamali. Well, I can see you're pleased. I'm sure that
    the Pakistan community is pleased that I'm here. And Pakistan is helping
    as a partner--is a partner as far as the fight against terrorism is
    concerned, as far as our bilateral relations are concerned. We want a
    long, lasting friendship with the United States, and that is why I'm
    here, to bring a message of the new democratic setup which I set in
    Pakistan the last 10 months. And in short, we intend getting that
    through--of course, with a pat on the back as far as President Bush is
    concerned. [Laughter] Will that be all right?
        Thank you very much.
        President Bush. Thank you, sir. Glad you're here.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:41 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House. A tape was not available for verification of the content of these
    remarks.