    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [February 24, 2005]
    [Pages 309-312]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in Bratislava
    February 24, 2005

        Thank you all. Dobr den. Mr. President,
    Mr. Chairman, Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your strong leadership and friendship.
    Mr. Mayor, distinguished guests, citizens
    of a free Slovakia, thank you for your hospitality. Laura and I are honored, extremely honored, to visit your
    great country. We bring greetings, and we bring the good wishes of the
    American people.
        With us here today is a group of remarkable men and women from
    across Central and Eastern Europe who have fought freedom's fight in
    their homelands and have earned the respect of the world. We
    welcome you. We thank you for your
    example, for your courage, and for your sacrifice.
        I'm proud to stand in this great square, which has seen momentous
    events in the history of Slovakia and the history of freedom. Almost 17
    years ago, thousands of Slovaks gathered peacefully in front of this
    theater. They came not to welcome a visiting President but to light
    candles, to sing

    [[Page 310]]

    hymns, to pray for an end to tyranny and the restoration of religious
    liberty.
        From the hotel to our left, Communist authorities watched thousands
    of candles shining in the darkness and gave the order to extinguish
    them. The authorities succeeded in crushing that protest. But with their
    candles and prayers, the people of Bratislava lit a fire for freedom
    that day, a fire that quickly spread across the land. And within 20
    months, the regime that drove Slovaks from this square would itself be
    driven from power. By claiming your own freedom, you inspired a
    revolution that liberated your nation and helped to transform a
    continent.
        Since those days of peaceful protest, the Slovak people have made
    historic progress. You regained your sovereignty and independence. You
    built a successful democracy. You established a free economy. And last
    year, the former member of the Warsaw Pact became a member of NATO and
    took its rightful place in the European Union. Every Slovak can be proud
    of these achievements. And the American people are proud to call you
    allies and friends and brothers in the cause of freedom.
        I know that liberty--the road to liberty and prosperity has not
    always been straight or easy. But Americans respect your patience, your
    courage, and your determination to secure a better future for your
    children. As you work to build a free and democratic Slovakia in the
    heart of Europe, America stands with you.
        Slovaks know the horror of tyranny, so you're working to bring hope
    of freedom to people who have not known it. You've sent peacekeepers to
    Kosovo and election observers to Kiev. You've brought Iraqis to
    Bratislava to see firsthand how a nation moves from dictatorship to
    democracy. Your example is inspiring newly liberated people. You're
    showing that a small nation, built on a big idea, can spread liberty
    throughout the world.
        At this moment, Slovak soldiers are serving courageously alongside
    U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. Some have given their
    lives in freedom's cause. We honor their memory. We lift them up in our
    prayers. Words can only go so far in capturing the grief of their
    families and their countrymen. But by their sacrifice, they have helped
    purchase a future of freedom for millions. Many of you can still recall
    the exhilaration of voting for the first time after decades of tyranny.
    And as you watched jubilant Iraqis dancing in the streets last month,
    holding up ink-stained fingers, you remembered Velvet Days. For the
    Iraqi people, this is their 1989, and they will always remember who
    stood with them in their quest for freedom.
        In recent times, we have witnessed landmark events in the history of
    liberty, a Rose Revolution in Georgia, an Orange Revolution in Ukraine,
    and now a Purple Revolution in Iraq. With their votes cast and counted,
    the Iraqi people now begin a great and historic journey. They will form
    a new Government, draft a democratic constitution, and govern themselves
    as free people. They're putting the days of tyranny and terror behind
    them and building a free and peaceful society in the heart of the Middle
    East, and the world's free nations will support them in their struggle.
        The terrorist insurgents know what's at stake. They know they have
    no future in a free Iraq, so they're trying desperately to undermine
    Iraq's progress and throw the country in chaos. They want to return to
    the day when Iraqis were governed by secret police and informers and
    fear. They will not succeed. The Iraqi people will not permit a minority
    of assassins to determine the destiny of their nation. We will fight to
    defend this freedom, and we will prevail.
        Victory in this struggle will not come easily or quickly, but we
    have reason to hope. Iraqis have demonstrated their courage and their
    determination to live in freedom, and that has inspired the world. It is
    the same determination we saw in Kiev's Independent Square, in Tbilisi's
    Freedom

    [[Page 311]]

    Square, and in this square almost 17 years ago.
        We must be equally determined and also patient. The advance of
    freedom is the concentrated work of generations. It took almost a decade
    after the Velvet Revolution for democracy to fully take root in this
    country. And the democratic revolutions that swept this region over 15
    years ago are now reaching Georgia and Ukraine. In 10 days, Moldova has
    the opportunity to place its democratic credentials beyond doubt as its
    people head to the polls. And inevitably, the people of Belarus will
    someday proudly belong to the country of democracies. Eventually, the
    call of liberty comes to every mind and every soul. And one day,
    freedom's promise will reach every people and every nation.
        Slovakia has taken great risks for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq.
    You have proved yourself a trusted friend and a reliable ally. That is
    why I recently announced a new Solidarity Initiative for nations like
    Slovakia that are standing with America in the war on terror. We will
    help you to improve your military forces so we can strengthen our
    ability to work together in the cause of freedom. We're working with
    your Government to make it easier for Slovaks to travel to the United
    States of America. Hundreds of thousands of our citizens can trace their
    roots back to this country. Slovak immigrants helped build America and
    shape its character. We want to deepen the ties of friendship between
    our people, ties based on common values, a love of freedom, and shared
    belief in the dignity and matchless value of every human being.
        The Velvet Generation that fought for these values is growing older.
    Many of the young students and workers who led freedom's struggle here
    now struggle to support families and their children. For some, the days
    of protest and revolution are a distant memory. Today, a new generation
    that never experienced oppression is coming of age. It is important to
    pass on to them the lessons of that period. They must learn that freedom
    is precious and cannot be taken for granted; that evil is real and must
    be confronted; that lasting prosperity requires freedom of speech,
    freedom to worship, freedom of association; and that to secure liberty
    at home, it must be defended abroad.
        By your efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq and across the world, you
    are teaching young Slovaks these important lessons. And you're teaching
    the world an important lesson as well, that the seeds of freedom do not
    sprout only where they are sown; carried by mighty winds, they cross
    borders and oceans and continents and take root in distant lands.
        I've come here to thank you for your contributions to freedom's
    cause and to tell you that the American people appreciate your courage
    and value your friendship. On behalf of all Americans, dakujem, and may
    God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 12:17 p.m. in Hviezdoslavovo Square. In his
    remarks, he referred to President Ivan Gasparovic and Prime Minister
    Mikulas Dzurinda of Slovakia; Chairman Pavol Hrusovsky of the Slovak
    Parliament; and Mayor Andrej Durkovsky of Bratislava.

    [[Page 312]]