    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)]
    [November 4, 2005]
    [Pages 1647-1649]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following Discussions With President Nestor Kirchner of Argentina in Mar del Plata, Argentina
    November 4, 2005

        President Kirchner. We have had an eventful meeting with the
    President of the United States. We have considered issues related to our
    bilateral relations between Argentina and the U.S. We have considered
    the situation in the region. We have listened to each other and what we
    have to say about domestic matters in our respective countries and how
    our countries are doing at the moment. I think we have been quite candid
    in our dialog, and we have spoken quite clearly with the President of
    the United States.
        And as President of the Argentine Republic, I am pleased to have had
    this meeting, during which we have been able to convey to the President
    of the United States our thoughts on a wide variety of issues.
        So in a nutshell, that's what we have dealt with, and I would now
    like to give the floor to the President of the U.S.
        President Bush. Thank you for your hospitality. Laura and I thank you and the Senator for such a warm welcome. This is my first trip to
    Argentina--I hope it is not my last trip. However, this is not our first
    meeting. This is our third meeting, and every time we have met, I have
    come away impressed by your candor, your passion for the people of this
    beautiful land.
        And as we discussed--the first time we met until now, the economy
    has changed in quite dramatic fashion, thanks to wise

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    decisions you have made. So congratulations for dealing with a difficult
    circumstance and making decisions that have improved the lives of your
    people.
        Needless to say, the President was quite firm in his belief that the
    IMF ought to have a different attitude toward Argentina. He has been an
    outspoken person for reform. I listened very carefully to his point of
    view. I was pleased that the United States was helpful during the early
    part of his term at the IMF, and I suggested that his record is such now
    that he can take his case to the IMF with a much stronger hand. And so I
    appreciated the conversation there, and I appreciate your candor.
        I also want to thank you, Mr. President, for sending the White
    Helmets. These were people that came down, health specialists to help
    some of our folks deal with the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina
    and Rita. It was a gesture of grand friendship, and the American people
    are grateful. The American people are grateful for the contributions
    Argentines have made to our country. I mean, we've got all kinds of
    people in America--Ginobili--I don't know if you've heard of Manu
    Ginobili. [Laughter] He's made
    a vital contribution to the basketball team from the State in which I
    live. But he's also a good ambassador for your country, and people of
    Argentine heritage have contributed mightily to America, and we're
    grateful for that.
        We had a good discussion about a range of issues, as the President
    said. Argentina and the United States have a lot in common. We both
    believe in rule of law. We both believe in minority rights. We both
    believe in free press. We both believe in free religion. We both
    understand that institutions are important for the embetterment of the
    people, democratic institutions. At times, those institutions have been
    under assault in our two countries, and it's important as leaders of our
    countries--elected leaders--to stand up and defend those institutions.
        And so, Mr. President, thank you for that dialog, and thank you for
    that discussion. The President reminded me that U.S. involvement in the
    neighborhood is--can be constructive and positive, and I agree. And I
    reminded him that the best involvement that can happen is when countries
    make wise decisions to attract investment, that there be consistency in
    law, which he agrees with, that contracts be honored, that when a person
    makes an investment, that there is not certainty of success but
    certainty that the rules won't change, that when a government fights
    corruption, that government sends a signal to investors, large and
    small, that this is a good place to take risk.
        I also reminded the President, we wouldn't be having this discussion
    if our respective economies weren't strong. And the United States
    economy is strong. It's healthy. We've overcome some serious challenges
    recently. But the investor climate in the United States, the willingness
    for people to invest is good. And the fact that Argentina is picking up
    additional direct foreign investment is positive. It shows that the
    country is making wise decisions.
        We're going to talk about jobs later on, and that's an important
    subject. We discussed the need to make sure education systems were
    strong and vibrant, in order to make sure people can take advantage of
    opportunities when they arise.
        I was pleased that the President was talking about a very ambitious
    education program, in terms of increasing expenditures, the percentage
    of GDP by, I think he said 2010, to be a significant increase. And
    that's wise. That's called leadership. And it seems like to me that at
    this summit, that if you believe in the values we discussed and if you
    understand how to make rational decisions, we ought to share those
    concepts with other countries. And that's why I'm glad to be down here.
    This is an opportunity to positively affirm our belief in democracy, in
    human rights and human dignity.

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        And so I want to thank you for being a good host. It's not easy to
    host all these countries. It's particularly not easy to host, perhaps,
    me. [Laughter] But thank you for doing it; you're doing a fine job.
    [Laughter] I'm looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to our
    meetings. I'm looking forward to this evening's cultural event and
    dinner, and I've been looking forward to our discussion. It was a good
    one.
        Mr. President, thank you very much. It's an honor to be here.
        President Kirchner. Thank you very much for being here. Again, we
    had a very clear, open, candid meeting. We clearly expressed our own
    thoughts. And as President of Argentina, I'm leaving this meeting
    feeling very satisfied because it wasn't a meeting looking for nice
    words but to speak the truth, and each of us did just that. Thank you
    very much for being here.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:02 a.m. at the Hermitage Hotel. In his
    remarks, he referred to Senator Christina Fernandez de Kirchner of
    Argentina, wife of President Kirchner; and Emanuel D. ``Manu'' Ginobili,
    guard, National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs. President
    Kirchner spoke in Spanish, and his remarks were translated by an
    interpreter. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
    language transcript of these remarks.