    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [November 20, 2003]
    [Pages 1588-1590]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1588]]

    Effective Multilateralism To Build a Better World: Joint Statement by
    President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair
    November 20, 2003

        President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair reaffirm the
    unique alliance of values and common purpose that binds the United
    States and the United Kingdom. We confront great challenges: global
    terrorism, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, poverty and
    disease, and hostile dictators who oppress their own people and threaten
    peace. We, and our allies among the world's democracies, have a special
    responsibility to take action and mobilize international institutions to
    meet these challenges and build a more secure, just, and prosperous
    world.
        We applaud the achievements of the Transatlantic Alliance, the
    foundation of our security, under whose aegis Europe whole, free, and at
    peace is becoming reality. We welcome NATO's major and growing role in
    Afghanistan, and its support for the Polish-led multinational division
    in Iraq. We welcome NATO's new cooperation with Russia, Ukraine, and
    other members of the Partnership for Peace. We reaffirm our support for
    a European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) of the European Union that
    improves Europe's capabilities to act, and develops in a way that is
    fully coordinated, compatible, and transparent with NATO. We seek a
    dynamic, mutually-reinforcing relationship between NATO and the EU,
    without duplication and divisiveness, and grounded in the essential
    NATO-EU agreements which underpin it. With new members and new
    capabilities, NATO will be a cornerstone of world security in the 21st
    century.
        We urge all nations to join together in common purpose, to put aside
    temporary disagreements, and to recognize our responsibility to work for
    the common good in the world. Our tasks are great, but so are our
    capabilities, when we work together.
        Effective multilateralism, and neither unilateralism nor
    international paralysis, will guide our approach. We must:

         Launch efforts to promote freedom in the nations of the
                greater Middle East. We have a vision of this region moving
                toward peace through freedom. We cannot sacrifice our
                commitment to democracy to purchase security, for in that
                case we shall have neither. We applaud those in the region
                striving to advance human rights and economic freedom, fight
                corruption, and advance equal justice under law. The leaders
                of the Transatlantic community and the G8 must find new ways
                to cooperate with the people and states of the region to
                promote democratic development, economic freedom, and
                security, over the years that true transformation will take.
                We will work in partnership with those leaders in the region
                who are promoting political and economic reform and
                development.

                 We reaffirm our commitment to the vision of peace between
                two states--Israel and Palestine--living side by side in
                peace and security. The Roadmap to peace remains the way to
                achieve this vision, and we call on all parties to fulfill
                their obligations under its terms, taking effective action
                to stop all terrorism, and refraining from steps that would
                prevent or prejudge the terms of a final settlement. To this
                end, we will remain actively involved with the leaders of
                the region and work closely with the international
                community.

         Continue the fight against international terrorism. What we
                have begun we will

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                finish. Terrorists must know no sanctuary, neither in the
                mountains of Afghanistan or Iraq, nor hidden in the cities
                of Europe or America, nor disguised as freedom fighters or
                charities. We will continue to enhance our joint, bilateral
                work, internationally and through strengthened domestic
                cooperation.
         Strengthen global efforts against proliferators of weapons
                of mass destruction. We must increase international capacity
                and will to deal effectively with this threat. We will
                intensify efforts to counter both Iran's and also North
                Korea's dangerous nuclear programs; and also strengthen the
                basis for multilateral counter-proliferation and non-
                proliferation actions, including through the Proliferation
                Security Initiative and through our upcoming G8
                Presidencies.
         Promote global health. Fighting the global HIV/AIDS
                pandemic requires sustained international effort,
                coordination, and resources. The U.S. and UK will work
                together to strengthen efforts in prevention, treatment,
                care, and support, beginning in five African countries. To
                further this collaborative effort, we will establish a
                Special Joint Task Force on HIV/AIDS. This Task Force will
                focus our national efforts, and enlist the efforts of
                others, aimed at the struggle against HIV/AIDS. We will
                pursue a comprehensive approach to expanding the delivery of
                HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment, including greater
                access to safe and effective medicines, better health system
                delivery, and building a skilled force of health workers. We
                share a commitment to rapidly increasing the availability of
                HIV treatment in the most affected countries, to reducing
                HIV infection rates, and to developing programs to provide
                care and support for those infected with, and affected by,
                HIV/AIDS, including orphans and vulnerable children. We call
                on others to join us to fulfill the G8 goal of eradication
                of polio by 2005.
         Support development in Africa. We reaffirm our support for
                Africa and for NEPAD, through the G8 Africa Action Plan. We
                have agreed to work to support the development of effective
                African mechanisms to prevent conflict and run peacekeeping
                operations; continue to work for a return to democratically-
                accountable government and the rule of law in Zimbabwe; and
                support the building of peace in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
                We will deliver on the commitments we made at Monterrey and
                in the Africa Action Plan to improve the effectiveness of
                our development assistance. We welcome the launch of the
                Africa Partnership Forum, expanding the international
                support for Africa's development. Building Africa's
                foundation for success is our shared goal, and we commit to
                support the Forum's efforts in the region. We will work
                through bilateral and multilateral channels to improve trade
                opportunities in Africa.
         Advance an open trade regime. We are committed to an open,
                fair, and multilateral world trading system. Recognizing
                that WTO Ministerial in Cancun was a missed opportunity, we
                reaffirm our commitment to a successful conclusion of the
                WTO's Doha Development Agenda. We will work with our
                international partners to achieve a successful conclusion to
                the Round that will benefit both developed and developing
                countries. We call for a resumption of the negotiations, and
                encourage all parties to make serious and substantial
                contributions to these important negotiations.
         Increase technological cooperation on cleaner energy. We
                will bring together our scientific and technological

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                strengths to accelerate development of practical and
                efficient technologies for the use and production of clean
                energy. To help improve human health by reducing pollution,
                and address the challenge of climate change by mitigating
                greenhouse gases, we have established a joint team to
                implement the energy, science and technology commitments
                from Evian through both of our G8 Presidencies.
         Deepen defense cooperation. We will work to remove barriers
                to increased defense industrial cooperation,
                interoperability, and information exchange. Our goals
                include achieving fair and consistent reciprocal access to
                each other's equipment markets, maximizing information
                sharing, and extending joint working and training
                opportunities. We will create a closer and more open
                relationship by the removal of outdated barriers between our
                armed forces and officials. We consider it a high priority
                to implement a licensing exemption that will facilitate
                defense trade between our countries. We reaffirm our strong
                commitment to proceed with the Joint Strike Fighter project.
         Promote innovative education initiatives. We are committed
                to increasing the number and quality of U.S.-UK school
                partnerships. To this end, we are inaugurating a new annual
                prize--the Transatlantic Education Prize--to reward schools
                for particularly creative and innovative partnerships. The
                first prizes will be awarded early next year and will
                include reciprocal visits for head teachers and principals.

    Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of
    this joint statement.