    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [May 19, 2004]
    [Pages 904-905]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following Discussions With Prime Minister Silvio
    Berlusconi of Italy
    May 19, 2004

        President Bush. Thank you for coming. You just interrupted a
    conversation about how we're working on a strategy to help the Iraqis
    become a free nation.
        First, I want to thank my friend Silvio Berlusconi for being here
    this evening. He's a man of good judgment, good advice, and he's a good
    friend. And after we have dinner, we're going to go to the Sons of Italy
    banquet tonight.
        I also want to thank the Italian people for the great humanitarian
    mission that they're undertaking in Iraq. I appreciate their
    contribution to a free society in a part of the world that is desperate
    for freedom.
        The Prime Minister and I have spent time working on a strategy
    that's based upon the following points: One, there will be a full
    transfer of sovereignty to an interim Iraqi government on June the 30th.
    That will be accompanied by a United Nations Security Council
    resolution. He had some very good ideas about what should be in that
    resolution. I, of course, listened to his good ideas.
        We also talked about the need to make sure there is a security force
    to help the Iraqis move toward elections. It's tough work there now,
    because killers want to stop progress. It will be tough work after
    sovereignty is transferred, because there will still be people there
    trying to derail the election process. And that's why one of the
    discussion points we had was how to continue to broaden the coalition.
    And finally, we talked about how to make sure that Iraq does have free
    elections, as Mr. Brahimi has scheduled.
        It's an easy conversation to have with Silvio, because we share
    values. We believe in human rights, human dignity, rule of law, and the
    right for people to self-govern.
        And so I'm proud my friend is here. I appreciate your leadership.
        Prime Minister Berlusconi. Thank you.
        President Bush. Thank you for your advice.
        Prime Minister Berlusconi. As far as I'm concerned, I'm very happy
    to be here, and I'm very happy to have had this discussion with my
    friend President Bush, discussion on this plan, which is very detailed
    in terms of the date and is a very convincing plan.
        As the President already said, within 2 weeks or even probably
    before, by the end of this month, the envoy of the Secretary-General of
    the United Nations will indicate the names
    of the members of the interim government.
        And something else that President Bush did not mention right now,
    but we discussed, is the possibility, opportunity of convening a meeting
    in New York, where your President should be invited and he should meet
    the members of the Security Council of the United Nations and the top
    representatives of the countries--members of the coalition. And this in
    order to provide this government with an international legitimization
    which is not only useful for the international community but mostly for
    domestic purposes for this government in Iraq.
        And by month--the end of July, there would be the possibility of
    setting up an electoral commission which will be formed and made up of--
    also of celebrities and personalities from United Nations which will
    help preparing the elections to be held in January.
        And we have discussed also other issues, and over dinner we'll have
    the possibility of discussing additional initiatives which I think
    should be taken. Since I have the possibility and chance of talking to
    the President of the Russian Federation, Putin,

    [[Page 905]]

    and to Tony Blair and other leaders, I also submitted to President Bush
    the possibility of organizing an international conference on Iraq, which
    could be held before the elections in Iraq in January.
        And I can say that we agreed on all of these future possibilities,
    and we fully share the strategy which needs to be followed. The West
    must defend itself against international terror. We can think--we are
    winning this battle if we remain united. Should we leave, abandon Iraq
    before a democracy takes hold, should we abandon it before this takes
    place, then we would leave this country to chaos and to a lengthy--to
    many, many years of civil war, with thousands and thousands of
    casualties and victims, and this country would probably be a
    authoritarian country, a fundamentalist country, and certainly an
    exporter of terror.
        I think we've started the work which cannot be left halfway. We have
    to complete it and until we are sure that we can guarantee the unlucky
    Iraqi people democracy and freedom, founded in democracy and freedom.
        President Bush. Good job. Thank you, sir.

    Note: The President spoke at 6:18 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Lakhdar Brahimi, Special Adviser
    to the U.N. Secretary-General. Prime Minister Berlusconi referred to
    President Vladimir Putin of Russia; and Prime Minister Tony Blair of the
    United Kingdom. The Prime Minister spoke in Italian, and his remarks
    were translated by an interpreter.