[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
[May 4, 2005]
[Pages 734-736]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Interview With Lithuanian National Television
May 4, 2005
Lithuanian Support for Freedom in Ukraine
Q. Mr. President, you thanked President Valdas Adamkus for his
efforts spreading the freedom in neighboring countries. What else could
Lithuania do spreading the freedom in this region?
The President. Well, first, I did thank the President for his good work in the Ukraine. I thought it was a
really great moment when the head of Lithuania got involved and
encouraged the whole world to take notice of the freedom movement in the
Ukraine. And by the way, that's a--the second election was a really
important moment in the liberty movement. And I thanked him for that,
genuinely so. And I want to say it again: I thank him for that.
Lithuania serves as a great example of what is possible. After years
of being subjugated to harsh rule, the Lithuanians are now free, and
they're showing they can grow the economy and that people have a chance
to express themselves and there's a vibrant society when you're free.
And it has been hard; the transition from communism to a free democracy
is a hard transition. And it's very important for the Lithuanians and
the Government to share that experience with others who will be going
through the same thing. And so I am very proud of Lithuania, and I'm
proud to call her friend.
Democracy in Belarus
Q. Mr. President, you showed a strong support for democracy cause in
Belarus. And what is your administration planning to do, given the fact
that Belarus Presidential election is planned next year?
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The President. Well, first of all, we'll work with you, countries in
the neighborhood, countries around--the free countries of the world, to
insist there be free elections and make sure there's free elections.
This is the last remaining dictatorship in Europe. And Condi Rice was in the neighborhood recently, as you know,
Secretary of State Rice, and she brought up the subject. She met with
people who are embracing the freedom movement in Belarus. I did as well,
when I was in Slovakia.
And so one of the roles that the United States can play is to speak
clearly about the need for Belarus to be free and to work with people to
insist that Belarus be free and, when the elections come, make sure the
elections are free and have monitors and international observers. As you
know, that made a big difference in the Ukraine, for example. No, it's--
and I think--listen, I believe everybody wants to be free, and I believe
if the world works together to achieve that, many people will be free.
Lithuania's Role in Afghanistan
Q. Lithuania is taking a concrete role in the reconstructing of
Afghanistan.
The President. Yes.
Q. What kind of specific support do you ask--offer Lithuania?
The President. Well, as you know, we've got for our partners in Iraq
and--we've got some solidarity funds. We want to work through the
foreign aid money to help Lithuania in her efforts to help build a
better world. Again, I applaud the President.
I thank the people of Lithuania for the support in Afghanistan.
It's important that Afghanistan be free and peaceful; it will serve
as an example for others. Again, I keep saying this to people, but
you've just got to--the people of Lithuania have got to know how I feel.
I believe everybody desires to be free, and I believe everybody deserves
to be free. And societies will grow up around different customs and
habits. I don't expect people to look like American form of government,
but I do believe the world ought to work together to enable people to
live free lives and then help countries, once they've become liberated
from a tyrant, in the case of Afghanistan.
And that's what Lithuania is doing. And I'm confident the
President is doing so because--for the same
reason I am, because he understands that free societies, in the long
run, will make the world peaceful. And that's what we want for our
children and our grandchildren; we want there to be peace.
President's Upcoming Meeting With Russian President Putin
Q. You're going to meet Mr. Putin. Will you repeat your words to him
that the Second World War has brought the Soviet occupation to the
Baltic States?
The President. Yes, of course I'll remind him of that. I told him in
Slovakia that I felt it was important for him to understand that my
friends the leaders of the Baltics are upset. In other words, they don't
view the end of World War II as a great moment of celebration, and
there's a reason why. He took it in. Your President has decided not to go to Moscow. I respect him for
that decision. Each leader in the Baltics has to make the decision
they're comfortable with. And it was a very difficult period, and so
this is a hard decision. And I respect the decisions of the three leaders.
But I did make it clear to President Putin that there is great
angst--people don't view this as a liberating moment--and hopefully that
he will work with the Baltics in a cooperative way, because it really is
in Russia's interest to have free countries and democracies on her
border. The more democracies on the border of a country, the more
peaceful the country will be.
And so this is a bittersweet moment for a lot of people in America
who are from the Baltics--a lot of Lithuanian Americans here, by the
way--who, on the one hand,
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are really happy the United States defeated nazism, on the other hand,
saw their homeland taken over by a repressive communist regime.
President's Previous Visit to Lithuania
Q. Mr. President, thank you. It was a pleasure.
The President. Great. And listen, I want to say one other thing: I
want to thank the people of Lithuania for the warm reception Laura and I received the last time we were there. It was one
of the great visits of my Presidency. I remember sitting in the town--
standing in the town square, and it was very interesting, seeing a lot
of older Lithuanians with tears in their eyes. I guess they never
thought they'd see the day where the American President came. It touched
my heart a lot. And then I saw a lot of young Lithuanians wondering what
the heck the American President was all about--you know, they kind of--
so it was a very touching visit.
Thank you.
Note: The interview was taped at 2:14 p.m. in the Map Room at the White
House for later broadcast and was released by the Office of the Press
Secretary on May 5. In his remarks, the President referred to President
Valdas Adamkus of Lithuania; and President Vladimir Putin of Russia.