    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [June 1, 2005]
    [Page 912]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following Discussions With Secretary General Jakob Gijsbert
    ``Jaap'' de Hoop Scheffer of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
    June 1, 2005

        President Bush. Mr. Secretary General, welcome. Thank you for
    coming.
        It's been my pleasure to work with this good man. The Secretary
    General is a visionary leader of a very important Alliance, and that is
    NATO. America is a proud member of NATO. We view NATO as our link--our
    transatlantic link to Europe. NATO is a place where not only do we work
    to--work on defensive measures to protect our respective people, but
    it's a place where we are proud to strategize as to how to promote
    values of--universal values of democracy and freedom and human rights
    and human dignity.
        Under the Secretary General's leadership, NATO has been active in
    places like Afghanistan and training the troops in NATO. And today we
    discussed the NATO mission in Darfur, to help deal with human suffering
    in that part of the world.
        So, Mr. Secretary General, I am proud to call you friend and proud
    to work with you as the President of a contributing member of NATO.
    Welcome.
        Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer. Mr. President, thank you very
    much, indeed. I can echo the words you said. NATO has always been and
    still is a value-driven organization; it's about values. The same values
    we have defended in the cold war, we are now defending in Afghanistan,
    at the Hindu Kush mountains. We are training the Iraqi security forces
    so that that country can stand on its own feet as soon as possible. We
    are staying the course in Kosovo. We'll have, as the President
    mentioned, support for the African Union in Darfur. We're having an
    antiterrorist operation in the Mediterranean. We'll stay the course--
    we'll stay the course. We do that with the 26 NATO Allies--of course
    first and foremost with the United States of America--and we do it with
    our partners as well with important partner countries of NATO, like the
    Ukraine, like our partners in the Balkans.
        So we'll stay the course, and I'm sure that NATO will also, in the
    coming time, will be an important political, military organization.
    Enhancing political dialog within NATO, that's what it's all about--
    staying the course militarily and staying the course politically.
        Mr. President, thank you very much.
        President Bush. Welcome. Thank you for coming. I appreciate it.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:57 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House.