    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [February 27, 2004]
    [Pages 284-286]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following Discussions With Chancellor Gerhard
    Schroeder of Germany and an Exchange With
    Reporters
    February 27, 2004

        President Bush. There will be opening statements. We'll take two
    questions per side, alternating.
        Mr. Chancellor, welcome back. It's good to see you. We've just had a
    really constructive dialog about our mutual interests, our mutual
    desires to work together. When Germany and America work together, the
    world is a better place. We're both committed to freedom. We're both
    committed to peace. We're both committed to the prosperity of our
    respective people. And this is an important visit, and I'm glad you're
    here. And I appreciate our ability to work together on a lot of fronts.
        I told the Chancellor I was particularly grateful for German
    presence in Afghanistan. They're making a very constructive--playing a
    constructive role and making sure that country is able to survive in a--
    as a free nation. And it's important that Afghanistan succeed, and we
    really appreciate it.
        We talked about Iraq, and we talked about the Middle East, and we
    talked about North Korea. We discussed a lot of subjects.
        And so, Mr. Chancellor, welcome back.
        Chancellor Schroeder. Thank you, Mr. President. Indeed, I'm very
    pleased to be here once again. And indeed, we talked about--not about
    the past; we very much agreed on that. We have to talk about the present
    and the future now. We both have a great interest in seeing a stable and
    democratic Iraq develop.
        And you're right; you mentioned the important part that Germany is
    playing in Afghanistan. It is a contribution that we make. It is a
    contribution that we also make in the fight against international
    terrorism, and we intend to continue to make that contribution.
        We also talked about international issues, especially a settlement
    of the Middle East problems and the conflicts there. We very much agreed
    on that. Whenever one pursues a broader outline and a broader approach
    here, one has not to lose sight of the fact that a settlement of the
    conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians is necessary if one
    wants to bring peace to this region.
        It was indeed a very good meeting, Mr. President, and we very much
    agreed on that we now have to face up to the challenges of the 21st
    century.

    Constitutional Amendment on Marriage

        President Bush. Jennifer [Jennifer Loven, Associated Press].
        Q. Thank you, sir. I'd like to ask you about gay marriage. What do
    you believe same-sex weddings--how do they actually threaten the
    institution of marriage in general? And also, are you concerned at all
    about being considered on the wrong side of the civil rights issue?
        President Bush. This is a--yes, this is a difficult issue here for a
    lot of people in America. I believed it was important to act because the
    institution of marriage was being changed by courts. And it's an issue
    that's very sensitive. And the voice of the people need to be heard, and
    the constitutional process was the best way to do such.
        I believe that marriage has served society well, and I believe it is
    important to affirm that, that marriage between a man and a woman is the
    ideal. And the job of the President is to drive policy toward the ideal.
    This is a sensitive debate, and it is important that people hold true to
    their beliefs without condemning anybody else. And so therefore, I call
    upon all sides in the debate to conduct themselves with dignity and
    honor and respect. But this is a debate that the Nation must have. And
    the people's voice must be heard in the debate.

    [[Page 285]]

    Germany-U.S. Relations

        Q. Mr. President, your father mentioned Germany as partner in
    leadership. Is this still the case? And how would you describe the
    personal relationship between Chancellor Schroeder and yourself?
        President Bush. The Chancellor has got a good sense of humor and,
    therefore, he is able to make me laugh. And a person that can make me
    laugh is a person who is easy to be with. And a person who is easy to be
    with means I've got a comfortable relationship with him. We have
    differences in the past. But there's nothing wrong with friends having
    differences. And we have both committed to put the differences behind us
    and move forward. Germany is an important nation, and Germany occupies
    an important place in Europe. And it's essential that America have good
    relations with Europe. Not only do we share values; we share economic
    interests. We have the capacity to help keep the peace. And so I would
    say our relations are good.
        Q. Partner in leadership?
        President Bush. Partner in leadership, that's right. We're
    partnering in leadership in Afghanistan. We're partnering when it comes
    to dealing with disease----
        Chancellor Schroeder. The Balkans.
        President Bush. The Balkans. There's no question we differed on
    Iraq; we don't differ on whether Iraq ought to be free and peaceful. And
    so, no, I look forward to good relations--continued good relations with
    Germany and Gerhard Schroeder.
        Steve [Steve Holland, Reuters].

    Situation in Haiti

        Q. Mr. President, would it help settle things in Haiti if President
    Aristide were to resign?
        President Bush. The Secretary of State
    has made some comments. Let me follow up on those by saying that we're
    interested in achieving a political settlement, and we're still working
    to that effect. We're also, at the same time, planning for a
    multinational force that would go in and make sure that if aid needed to
    be delivered or there needed to be some stability, that it could go in,
    dependent upon a political settlement.

    Freedom and Democracy in the Middle East

        Q. Mr. President, what do you expect Germany's cooperative role to
    be in the Middle East initiative that you plan to do at the G-8 summit?
        President Bush. I think it's--the Chancellor and I were talking
    about the need to help promote the institutions for free societies to
    develop. We both understand that the office we hold is always bigger
    than the occupant. And whether it be in the Palestinian territories or
    elsewhere in the Middle East, it is essential, first and foremost, to
    put institutions in place that survive the whims of men and women.
        And so we share this common belief that it's important to get the
    structure right in order for free societies to develop. That's why the
    Bonn Conference, for example, relating to Afghanistan, was so important,
    because it began the process of putting the institutions in place for a
    free Afghanistan to exist. And the Chancellor understands that.
        There's a lot of work we can do. There's some skepticism as to
    whether or not people in the Middle East can self-govern. I strongly
    reject that skepticism, and I might call it criticism if people hold
    that attitude, because I believe that freedom is inherently a part of
    every soul and that if given the proper structure and proper
    institutions, people can self-govern. And a self-governing Middle East,
    one based upon freedom and democracy, will make the world more peaceful.
    It's a legacy that we need to work on in order to help change the habits
    of violence and fear and frustration that had spawned terror in the
    Middle East.
        Thank you.

    [[Page 286]]

    Note: The President spoke at 11:55 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House. Chancellor Schroeder spoke in German, and his remarks were
    translated by an interpreter. A reporter referred to President Jean-
    Bertrand Aristide of Haiti. A portion of these remarks could not be
    verified because the tape was incomplete.