    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [June 26, 2004]
    [Pages 1133-1135]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    June 26, 2004

        Good morning. This week I'm traveling to the U.S.-EU summit in
    Ireland, homeland to so many Irish Americans and one of the fastest
    growing and modern economies in the European Union. I will also be
    attending the NATO summit in Turkey, a proud nation that successfully
    blends a European identity with secular democracy and Islamic
    traditions.
        I will discuss with our European Allies our common struggle to
    defeat the forces of global terror, our common interest in the spread of
    prosperity, and our common

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    efforts to help the people of Iraq secure for themselves a future of
    freedom.
        Next Wednesday, full sovereignty in Iraq will be in the hands of the
    free Iraqi people. As that day approaches, the enemies of freedom in
    Iraq are growing ever more desperate. Last Tuesday, a young man from
    South Korea, Kim Sun-il, was viciously murdered by
    terrorists. That coldblooded act demonstrated once again the evil nature
    of the enemy. Their barbaric violence is designed to destabilize Iraq's
    new government, intimidate the Iraqi people, and shake the will of our
    coalition. Yet, our will is firm. South Korean President Roh has reaffirmed his determination to send more troops to
    help rebuild Iraq. Iraq's leaders, in a daily display of courage, refuse
    to be deterred from their dream of democracy, stability, and prosperity
    for the Iraqi people.
        The international community has a responsibility to promote the rise
    of a free Iraq, and it is meeting that responsibility. Today the nations
    of the European Union pledged their support for the new government of
    Iraq. Next week, at the NATO summit, we will discuss Iraqi Prime
    Minister Allawi's request for NATO help in
    training Iraq's security forces. NATO has the capability to help the
    Iraqi people defeat the terrorist threat facing their country. As Iraq
    moves toward the transfer of sovereignty next week, NATO, the European
    Union, and the United States are united in our determination to help the
    people of that nation.
        The world's free nations also have a responsibility to advance the
    blessings of liberty that have lifted our own nations. Earlier this
    month, the nations of the G-8 pledged their energies and resources to
    working in partnership with the peoples of the broader Middle East to
    advance human dignity, freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and economic
    opportunity. The United States, the European Union, and NATO are looking
    beyond the borders of Europe to support the momentum of freedom in the
    broader Middle East.
        At these summits, we will seek to strengthen the security of our
    homelands from the threat of terror. We have taken steps to freeze and
    block terrorists' finances, make transportation safer, and improve
    information sharing. We will discuss ways to further improve
    transportation safety and border security. Travel between our nations is
    the lifeblood of our friendship, our economies, and our alliances, and
    that travel must be safe.
        One important way to make the world safer is to make the world
    better. The United States and Europe share a fundamental interest in the
    health of the global economy. Our trade and investment relationship is
    the largest in the world. It creates millions of jobs on both sides of
    the Atlantic. Open trade has the power to lift nations out of poverty,
    so we will reaffirm our commitment to free and fair trade and the
    removal of obstacles to global economic growth.
        We believe that freedom has the power to defeat poverty and
    hopelessness and ignorance. We believe the advance of freedom makes the
    world safer for all nations. And we believe that when free nations work
    together, freedom will always prevail.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 7:45 a.m. on June 25 in the Cabinet
    Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on June 26. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    June 25 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. In his
    address, the President referred to President Roh Moo-hyun of South
    Korea; and Prime Minister Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi interim government.
    The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language
    transcript of this address.

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