    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)]
    [October 17, 2005]
    [Pages 1553-1555]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following Discussions With President Georgi Purvanov of Bulgaria and an Exchange With Reporters
    October 17, 2005

        President Bush. We'll have opening statements, two questions a side.
    Welcome, Mr. President.
        Mr. President, your country is a strategic ally. It's been my honor
    to welcome you to the Oval Office, and thank you for a wide-ranging
    discussion on a lot of important topics.
        Bulgaria has been a valued partner in NATO. Your country has been a
    strong example for democracy. You understand, like I understand, that
    the march of democracy
    will lead to world peace. I want to thank you for being a part of a vast
    coalition that helped liberate 50 million people. We discussed important
    bilateral issues.
        And I want to thank you again for coming. Thank you for your
    leadership, and thank you for your friendship.
        President Purvanov. Thank you, Mr. President. Ladies and gentlemen,
    I would like to say how pleased I am with the discussions we just had
    with Mr. President. I am delighted that we had a chance to

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    reaffirm our specific partnership and to discuss--to go through the
    agenda of some specific issues related.
        I do appreciate the support we have been receiving from the United
    States in becoming a reliable NATO member state and also in joining the
    European Union in time--that is, as of January '07. I value the high
    appreciation of Bulgaria's role as a stabilizing factor in the Balkans
    that we receive.
        I had the chance to reaffirm Bulgaria's commitment to remain an ally
    in the--of the antiterrorist coalition. Of course, the specifics of that
    are going to be discussed on an expert level. I appreciate the
    opportunity to raise some concrete, specific issues and put on the table
    Bulgaria's ambitions to get its military modernized and to be involved
    in some energy products in the Balkans.
        And I'm sure that after these meetings and talks, our institutions
    and the people concerned, the experts will have a lot of work to do in
    order to guarantee an influx of investment. I'm particularly pleased
    with this very frank--open and frank discussions we had.
        President Bush. Thank you. Answer a couple of questions--hold a
    second, please. We'll go with the American side first. Deb [Deb
    Riechmann, Associated Press].

    CIA Employee's Identity Disclosure
    Investigation

        Q. Mr. President, would you expect a member of your administration
    to resign or take leave if they were indicted?
        President Bush. Mr. President, there's an investigation going on.
    I've made it very clear to the press that I'm not going to discuss the
    investigation. And so therefore--and so my position hasn't changed since
    the last time I've been asked this question. There's a serious
    investigation. We're not going to--I'm not going to prejudge the outcome
    of the investigation.
        Your question. Yes.

    Bulgarian Nurses
    in Libya

        Q. Mr. President, first, we remember
    9/11, and we thank you for your leadership, sir. The question is, in
    Bulgarian public opinion knows quite well that the most important thing
    for us is to get our nurses back from the jail in Libya, because they're
    facing a firing squad, sir, after few weeks, if the verdict is
    confirmed. So, we are partners. You're the leader of the most powerful
    nation on Earth. Why don't you help us, sir?
        President Bush. Do you want to interpret that?

    [At this point, the interpreter translated the question into Bulgarian,
    and President Bush continued.]

        We discussed this issue at length. Like the President, my heart
    breaks when young children get sick. The position of the United States
    Government is the nurses ought to be freed. We have made our position
    known to the Libyan Government. There's no confusion--there should be no
    confusion in the Libyan Government's mind. But those nurses ought to be
    not only spared their life but out of prison. And we will continue to
    make that message perfectly clear.
        Steve [Steve Holland, Reuters].

    Vote on Iraqi Constitution

        Q. Sir, the vote on Saturday, does the Sunni vote against the Iraqi
    Constitution damage the political process? Will it increase the
    likelihood of violence and American sacrifice?
        President Bush. My first reaction to the vote was that an increase
    in turnout was an indication that the Iraqi people are strongly in favor
    of settling disputes in a peaceful way, that they understand that
    working to find common ground on a constitution is much better for their
    future than relying upon killers and people who will kill innocent
    children and women for the sake of creating havoc.

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        Secondly, I was pleased to see that the Sunnis participated in the
    process. The idea of deciding to go into a ballot box is a positive
    development. The idea that people are willing to try to work out their
    political differences through a process, a peaceful process, is--stands
    in stark contrast to the Al Qaida types and the terrorists and the
    killers that are trying to drive the process through violence.
        The way forward is clear. The political process will continue with a
    constitution, if finally ratified, and then an election, coupled with a
    security plan that continues to train Iraqis so they do the fight. The
    violence in this election was down from the previous election. And one
    of the reasons why is because the Iraqi forces took the fight to the
    enemy and provided security, which is really heartening to coalition
    forces and friends and allies.
        So yesterday was a very hopeful day for peace. It's an exciting day
    for a country that only a few short years ago was ruled by a brutal
    tyrant. So I'm pleased with the progress being made.

    Bulgaria's Role in the Balkans

        Q. Mr. President, Bulgarian Telegraph Agency. What do you think of
    Bulgaria's role--of your ally, Bulgaria, as a regional leader in the
    Balkans?
        President Bush. I think the--I watched your election--recent
    parliamentary elections very closely. The people voted, and then
    coalitions were formed for the good of the country. That's an example
    that many can learn from. There's nothing more wholesome than a young
    democracy not only setting an example for others but taking a lead in
    explaining to citizens that the best way to resolve differences is
    through a political process that is peaceful.
        And so the President and I talked about Bulgaria's important role in
    taking the lead in helping young democracies grow in strength. We're
    laying the foundation for peace. Democracies are peaceful. They're at
    peace with their neighbors, and the Balkans needs peace. The Middle East
    needs peace. And working with friends like Bulgaria, we are laying that
    foundation for peace.
        And I'm proud to have your friendship. Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:53 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House. President Purvanov and a reporter spoke in Bulgarian, and their
    remarks were translated by an interpreter.