[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
[November 21, 2004]
[Pages 2994-2998]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
The President's News Conference With President Ricardo Lagos of Chile in Santiago
November 21, 2004
President Lagos. My good friend President Bush, Laura, members of
the President's delegation, members of my administration, authorities,
friends: We're very pleased, for the third time this year, to meet with
President Bush and to be able to continue in this way with a modern,
mature relationship which our two countries have been able to achieve
historically.
As I was telling you, you're not the first George Bush to come to La
Moneda. His father was here when we worked in order to consolidate our
democracy. But you're the first President to come here at the dawn of
the 21st century. And as a consequence, we must use all our energies
towards a future agenda, an agenda in which most of the time we will be
in agreement; sometimes we won't. But that's life, and that's what a
more mature and a richer agenda can do for you.
Our area of cooperation is extremely broad. We share essential
values which make our ties stronger. We want democratic societies that
are pluralistic, in which the capacity for enterprise will be an
opportunity for many--open societies. As we've said over the past few
days, economic growth and trade are incompatible with terrorism and
incompatible with corruption. For that reason, the decisions we're
making at this APEC meeting.
Today too we have reviewed the progress of the free trade agreement
between Chile and the United States. After 9 months of enforcement, this
agreement has led to major results. Our shipments to the United States
have increased by 27 percent. The shipments from the United States to
Chile have increased by 25 percent. And the free trade commissions of
both countries continue working in order to be able to fulfill the
obligations we still have outstanding and, at the same time, to
accelerate the removal of tariffs.
Today, for us in Chile, 1,350 companies are sending to the United
States over 1,350 products, which ties in directly with the
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creation of jobs here in Chile. Trade, therefore, equals more and better
jobs. More and better jobs consolidate a democracy.
And we have other fields of cooperation. And that's why we spoke
about the English language and how important it is to be able to foster
through our ministries the learning of English. As a country, we wish to
be a bridge. We want to be a bridge and a platform in the flows of
international trade and the flows in the Asia and Pacific region.
We also spoke about Latin America. We spoke about the importance
that our commitment in Haiti has and the reasons why we are present in
that country and why we need the cooperation of many to be able to move
Haiti forward. We want there to be elections in Haiti, but this requires
the conditions for elections, so that there is a possibility of good
governance in the long term. We've also pointed out that the political
reality shows itself in many areas where they feel that progress is not
reaching them. In the Americas, we need to work within our governments
so that progress reaches those who need it most. And we definitely
believe that economic progress and social progress are basic.
And the President was kind enough to talk to us as well about issues
of international peace. We have very closely followed the position of
President Bush on the situation in the Palestine and the prospectives of
consolidating a state there with a democratically elected government as
a way for Palestinians and Israelis to be able to live together in
peace.
And, why not say this as well: We've agreed in today's meeting on
the need to push forward the negotiations for the Doha round in the WTO.
There we need to lend all our efforts for that international forum to be
able to reach rules for freer, fairer trade and thus be able to cement
the futures of our countries.
And so we have agreement on bilateral issues, regional issues, and
modestly speaking, multilateral issues. And that, therefore, is the
reason why we have so much ahead of us. And for all of that, your visit
here today is a very welcome one, and we Chileans are happy to have you
with us. You are welcome, sir.
President Bush. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you very much.
Laura and I are pleased to be here in Chile, and
we thank the President and Mrs. Duran
and the people of this fantastic country for the wonderful hospitality.
I'm honored to stand with the President of this great nation. I
congratulate President Lagos on hosting the APEC Leaders' Meeting and on
helping to ensure its success. You did a really good job.
Chile is a remarkable country. Chileans are a good-hearted people
who treasure their freedom. They're committed to democracy. The people
of this country understand the importance of economic freedom. Modern
Chile insists on the rule of law by ensuring the basic rights and
freedoms of its people. The prosperity and progress that grow from this
conviction is important. It's important for Latin America, and it's
important for the rest of the world.
The United States and Chile are partners in addressing the
challenges and opportunities facing our hemisphere. President Lagos and
I agreed that the surest path to prosperity is through free and fair
trade. Success of our free trade agreement is a model for other
countries. Exports have risen dramatically in both our countries, and
both the Chilean people and the people of the United States have
benefited. And through the establishment of free trade in the Americas,
we are committed to a future in which every free nation in the
hemisphere can share in the benefits of open markets and in the creation
of new jobs.
The friendship between our two peoples is deeper than the ties of
commerce. The United States and Chile also share a strong commitment to
human freedom. Today President Lagos and I discussed ways to strengthen
democratic institutions throughout the Americas and around the world.
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I appreciate his advice. I enjoy listening to his wisdom. Chile plays a
leading role in the Community of Democracies, a caucus of democratic
nations from every corner of the world whose representatives meet
regularly to support the advance of freedom. Chile will host the next
ministerial meeting of the Community, and we look forward to those
discussions, which will examine ways to spread the benefits of liberty.
The President and I also reaffirmed our determination to fight
terror, to bring drug trafficking to bear, to bring justice to those who
pollute our youth, to bring greater security and stability to our
hemisphere. Chile has been a leader in the efforts to strengthen
security initiatives among the nations of the Americas, and I appreciate
your leadership, Mr. President.
Your nation has expanded joint military exercises and security
cooperation with key regional partners. Chile has sent 600 troops to
support peacekeeping operations in Haiti, and we thank you for that
strong contribution. Chilean soldiers have also made important
contributions to peacekeeping efforts in Cyprus, in East Timor, and
Bosnia. These are the actions of an ally of the United States, a good
citizen of Latin America, and a friend of liberty.
Along with my fellow citizens, I look forward to a future of even
stronger and closer relations between our two countries in the years
ahead.
Thank you for your hospitality.
Trade Relations With China/U.S. Deficit
Q. President Bush, good afternoon. China has a very close
rapprochement with Latin America, a lot of investment in this region.
And in your second Presidency, are you going to do anything so you don't
lose your influence in this region? And second, many business people are
worried if you're going to be doing anything about the fiscal deficit in
your country during your second term.
President Bush. First, China is a growing country. Today we heard
from Hu Jintao about the phenomenal growth rates
that he expects for his economy, and that's positive. I think it's
helpful for there to be universal prosperity. China represents great
opportunities for Chile and the United States. And we look forward to
working with China. We've got a lot of trade with China, and we want to
continue to have good trading relations with China.
We got a lot of trade in the hemisphere. We got a free trade
agreement with Chile. NAFTA is a strong driver for prosperity in our own
neighborhood, and we'll continue to advance free trade throughout this
hemisphere. I, frankly, don't view trade--China's actions and the
actions of the United States as zero sum. I view it as a positive
development.
Secondly, at the meeting today people expressed concern about the
value of the U.S. dollar, and I reiterated the fact that my Government
has a strong dollar policy. And the best way to affect those who watch
the dollar's value is to make a commitment to deal with our short-term
and long-term deficits.
As far as our short-term deficit goes, I'll present a budget that
continues us on the path to reducing our deficit in half over a 5-year
period of time. We're in the fourth year of--first year of--we finished
the first year of a 5-year period to reduce the deficit in half.
Congress is working on the appropriations bill that meets those targets.
I look forward to signing it when they come back and finally finish the
package in early December.
A long-term deficit issue really relates to unfunded liabilities
when it comes to Social Security and Medicare. In my recent campaign, I
made it clear that I think it's very important for us to address those
long-term unfunded liabilities. For example, in Social Security, I
talked about the need for personal savings accounts for younger workers
as a part of a solution. Frankly,
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the Chilean model serves as a good example for those that are going to
be writing the law in the United States.
And so my commitment to the international world is that we'll deal
with the short-term deficit and the long-term unfunded liabilities, so
that people can then take a look at our dollar in terms of fiscal
austerity in Washington.
Press Secretary Scott McClellan. The
first question from the American press will come from Finlay Lewis of
Copley News Service.
Temporary-Worker Program
Q. Thank you, Mr. President. Your administration recently received a
letter from 21 or 22 Members of the House raising skeptical questions
about your guest-worker program. Now, you met with President Fox earlier
today, and I'm wondering how much--specifically how much political
capital--that you're so proud of--you're going to spend on trying to
overcome the built-in resistance to that plan. Specifically, what kind
of steps are you proposing to take to sell it to the Congress?
President Bush. Finlay, I am proud of my political capital. That's
what you get when you win an election, and in the course of that
election, I talked about immigration reform. I think it's important for
our country to recognize that people are coming to our country to do
jobs that Americans won't do, and therefore, I think a program that
recognizes the desire of some to come to America to work and the desire
of some in America to employ them makes sense. It makes sense not only
for our economy; it makes sense for border security. We'd much rather
have security guards chasing down terrorists or drugrunners or drug
smugglers than people coming to work. And so therefore, I think a guest-
worker program is important, and I look forward to working with Congress
on it.
I get letters all the time from people that are trying to steer me
one way or the other when it comes to legislation. But I'm going to move
forward. In the letter, I noticed that they said, ``Well, this is
because''--they're objecting to the program because it's an amnesty
program. It's not an amnesty program. It's a worker program. It's a
program that recognizes, however, that if somebody wants to become a
citizen in the United States, they can get a line--in line with the
people who have done so legally. I think it's necessary. I think it's an
important piece of legislation. I look forward to working it. You asked
me what my tactics are. I'm going to find supporters on the Hill and
move it.
Iraq
Q. President Bush, good evening. Conservative calculations say that
the Iraqi war has left many dead. This action has led to enormous
protests all over the world. This week we saw them in Chile. You stated
that you like to hear the wisdom of President Lagos. At any point did
Chile say no to this invasion--Chile did say no to this invasion. Who
was right and who was wrong? And how can we change this negative image
of the White House that exists in large parts of the world right now?
President Bush. President Lagos didn't agree with my decision, and I
respect that. He's still my friend.
Secondly, whether people agree with my decision or not, there are
two things that they've got to agree with: One, the world is better off
with Saddam Hussein not in power; and
secondly, it is important to succeed in Iraq. It's important to develop
a democracy there. I fully recognize some do not believe that a
democracy can take hold in Iraq. I strongly disagree. I believe not only
democracy can take hold in Iraq; I believe a democracy will take hold in
Iraq.
I noticed today that the elections are on schedule for January* the
30th. Think how far that society has come from the days of mass grave
and torture chambers to a
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day in which they're going to be voting for a President. Prime Minister
Allawi, the current leader of Iraq, is a strong,
capable democrat. He believes in the possibilities of the people of
Iraq, and he knows that a free society will unleash those possibilities.
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*White House correction.
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And so the United States of America will stay the course, and we
will complete the task. We will help Iraq develop a democracy, and the
world will be better off for it. Free societies don't attack each other.
Democracies listen to the aspirations of their people, not feed hatred
and resentment and future terrorists. And what we're doing is the right
thing in Iraq, and history will prove it right.
Press Secretary McClellan. Mark Silver
from the Chicago Tribune.
Legislation To Restructure the Intelligence Community
Q. Thank you, Mr. President. With the intelligence reform bill
apparently failing, how confident are you that Secretary Rumsfeld is not
partly responsible for that? Is there something more you, personally,
could have done? And what does this say about your ability to achieve
your own legislative agenda in the next 2 years?
President Bush. I was disappointed that the bill didn't pass. I
thought it was going to pass up until the last minute. So I look forward
to going back to Washington to work with the interested parties to get
it passed. I understand they're back into session to see if they can't
get the bill passed, and I look forward to working with Members of the
Senate and the House to get it passed.
It's very clear I wanted the bill passed. I talked to key Members of
the House, as did my Vice President. And we'll
continue working with them, and hopefully, we can get a bill done. I saw
the Speaker today said that the matter
wasn't complete; it wasn't over; it wasn't final--that we have a chance
to get a bill. And therefore, when I get home, I'm looking forward to
working it.
Thank you, sir.
President Lagos. Thank you.
Note: The President's news conference began at 8:10 p.m. at La Moneda.
In his remarks, he referred to Luisa Duran de Lagos, wife of President
Lagos; President Hu Jintao of China; former President Saddam Hussein of
Iraq; and Prime Minister Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi Interim Government. A
reporter referred to President Vicente Fox of Mexico. President Lagos
spoke in Spanish, and his remarks were translated by an interpreter.