    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)]
    [October 31, 2005]
    [Pages 1629-1630]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following Discussions With Prime Minister Silvio
    Berlusconi of Italy
    October 31, 2005

        President Bush. The Prime Minister and I will make statements. Thank
    you very much. Welcome.
        It is good to have my friend back in the Oval Office. I say ``my
    friend'' because it seems like we see each other a lot, and every time
    we do, I appreciate your advice and your counsel. Relations between
    Italy and the United States are strong, and the relationship between our
    countries is important. It's important for our economies, and I'm
    pleased to know that trade is--between our countries is vibrant.
        And this relationship is important because the United States has a
    strong partner in peace. I want to thank Silvio's strong commitment to
    the freedom of people in Afghanistan and in Iraq. I appreciate his
    strong vision of peace in the Balkans. In the past, we worked closely
    together to help the Libyan leader understand that we're living in a
    different world, a world in which we've got to work together for peace.
        So it's my honor to welcome you back, Mr. Prime Minister.
        Prime Minister Berlusconi. Thank you.
        President Bush. And thank you for coming.
        Prime Minister Berlusconi. Thank you, Mr. President. It's now a
    habit for me to come and pay homage to the President of the United
    States here at the Oval Office. It's always a pleasure for me. And it's
    a pleasure for me to come and see a friend, the leader of a friendly
    country.

        Italy will be always--be grateful to the United States for what this
    country has been doing to free us from totalitarianism in the past
    century. And it is for us a reason of pride to be next--side by side
    with our American ally in broadening the borders of democracy and
    freedom in the world and in order to pursue peace, which is something we
    all aspire to.

        I, personally, admire, very strong, the leadership shown by
    President Bush. He has--[inaudible]--the same values and the same
    principles I have. And he is very consistent in the decisions that he
    carries on. And I do believe that President Bush and what he has been
    doing will remain ingrained in history. In a sensitive moment of our
    global history, he will mark history as the one who had--he was so
    farsighted, because also within United Nations, he carried out a mission
    of democracy.

        And this is the reason why Italy is a member of the community of
    democracies,

    [[Page 1630]]

    and we provide our support and contribution to the Fund for Democracy
    that President Bush established and which we joined recently in New
    York.
        President Bush. Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:44 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-
    Qadhafi, leader of Libya. Prime Minister Berlusconi spoke in Italian,
    and his remarks were translated by an interpreter.