[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)]
[September 16, 2005]
[Pages 1446-1452]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



The President's News Conference With President Vladimir Putin of Russia
September 16, 2005

    President Bush. Thank you all. Please be seated. I'm pleased to 
welcome my friend Vladimir Putin back to the White House. We just had a 
constructive meeting and a candid conversation. I told the President how 
much I enjoyed visiting Russia early this year and how much I'm looking 
forward to going back to Russia for the G-8.
    I also thanked President Putin--Vladimir--for Russia's offers of 
assistance in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. It meant a lot to know that 
you cared enough to send critical supplies, and our country really 
appreciates it. People are going through some tough times down there, 
and I think it lifts their spirits to know that not only Americans but 
Russians care about their future.
    We've got a strong ally in Russia in fighting the war on terror. You 
know, it was about 4 years ago that our country got attacked; 1 year 
ago, there was Beslan, both of them brutal attacks, both of them attacks 
by people who have no regard for innocent life. And we understand we 
have a duty to protect our citizens and to work together and to do 
everything we can to stop the killing. That's why we hold office.
    And I appreciate you very much and your understanding of this war on 
terror. We also understand that we've got to work to stop the spread of 
weapons of mass destruction. We understand the stakes, that people who 
kill in cold blood, if they have weapons of mass destruction, will kill 
in cold blood on a massive scale. And I want to appreciate you for your 
understanding and thank you for your understanding of that.
    We both signed the International Convention on the Suppression of 
Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, which was a positive statement by the world. 
We discussed our efforts to work together in Iran and North Korea. We 
both--we have the same goal. We don't want the Iranians to have nuclear 
weapons, and we don't want the North Koreans to have nuclear weapons. We 
talked about ways to achieve those goals.
    We talked about the need to improve nuclear security. This year we 
reached a milestone in nonproliferation cooperation by completing the 
conversion of 10,000 Russian nuclear warheads into peaceful fuel for 
U.S. power reactors. And I appreciate very much that sense of 
cooperation. That's good for the world to see.
    We talked about our economic relationship. Russia has got a growing 
economy. We have products that they want, and they've got products that 
we want, like energy. And it's necessary for us to have a good economic 
relationship, one where we resolve our differences in a wise way. I told 
Vladimir that I'm very interested in seeing if we can't get--complete 
the negotiations for Russia's entry into the WTO, the World Trade 
Organization, by the end of this year.
    As we strengthen our economic ties, we'll work to advance freedom 
and democracy in our respective countries and around the world. Russia 
has been a strong partner of the United States and will be even a

[[Page 1447]]

stronger partner as the reforms that President Vladimir Putin has talked 
about are implemented, rule of law and the ability for people to express 
themselves in an open way in Russia.
    I don't know how many visits we've had. I haven't been counting them 
because I've run out of fingers on my hands, but there's been a lot. And 
every time I visit and talk with President Putin, I--our relationship 
becomes stronger. And I want to thank you for that. Thank you for coming 
to the White House to visit.
    Welcome.
    President Putin. Thank you very much. Distinguished ladies and 
gentlemen, first and foremost, I'd like to thank the President for 
invitation to visit the White House. And at the outset, allow me to 
relate the words of most sincere compassion and support to the American 
people with regards to the strikes of Mother Nature, that's Katrine 
Hurricane, which caused the death of many human lives and caused serious 
destruction. Believe us, we are sincerely and genuinely having the 
feeling of compassion with that tragedy, with you.
    Russia, in the very first hours after the tragedy, proposed its 
support. Of course, this aid is in no comparison with the scale--the 
plan which was laid down yesterday by the President of U.S. to restore 
that part of the country. But that was sincere support, and we wanted to 
shore up morally the people which they currently need most--that's 
medications. That's the first need objects. And I must say, these 
events, to the entire world, have become a serious lesson not only for 
the U.S. It's not an accident that we have paid a lot of attention today 
and while we had meetings in New York, since it's a global catastrophe--
global, absolutely global catastrophe, which must make us think.
    And today I told it to George, to ourselves in Russia, we too will 
draw our conclusions regarding organization of activities of services 
related to averting such catastrophes with efficient response to the 
similar catastrophes which are, indeed, of a global nature. This is 
precisely why we've discussed these tragic events and our cooperation as 
regards averting of this--[inaudible]--catastrophes, infectious disease, 
and so forth. I'm sure if we pool our effort, then our activities will 
become more efficient.
    In general, the qualitative new level of interaction between our two 
countries allows to efficiently address these breakthrough strategic 
tasks in many spheres of our interaction. And today's meeting was 
another confirmation of that. The traditional, high priority subjects of 
our interaction is antiterrorist cooperation of U.S. and Russia. We have 
agreed to enhance the bilateral coordination, including on the level of 
the working group to combat terrorism.
    Hereby, we believe that special attention should be paid to a joint 
effort to avert terrorist activities, generally and, of course, with the 
possible use by terrorists of weapons of mass destruction. You know that 
a relevant decision has been adopted in New York, in the United Nations 
organization.
    Significant attention was paid to the subject of nonproliferation, 
and here we have discussed the North Korean problem and the Iranian 
nuclear dossier. And I must say that our positions are very close with 
the American partners here. We will continue to coordinate our work. On 
our part, I'd like to point out that the potential of diplomatic 
solutions to all these questions is far from being exhausted, and we'll 
undertake all the steps necessary to settle all these problems and 
issues, not to aggravate them, not to bring them to extremalities.
    We have in detail discussed other crisis-related situations in the 
world, and I must say that on all these issues, our foreign policy 
agencies are in touch constantly.
    We have discussed also the upcoming meeting of G-8 group, and I'm 
thankful to George for some of his recommendations. We will continue 
with our partners

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to be in touch, closely coordinating preparation of this event and 
working out the agenda, so that the meeting of G-8 in the Russian 
Federation be organized at high-level quality but also would take the 
torch and uphold it and also bring some fresh breath as regards the 
relevance of all the subjects as they are considered by our countries 
and the entire world.
    We also discussed today the situation of the post-Soviet Union 
space. Our countries have joint interests in maintaining stability and 
economic prosperity of this vast territory. The position of Russia is 
well known. We come out for the consistent advancement of integrational 
process within the frameworks of this community of independent states, 
with straight respect to sovereignty of all our neighbors, their own 
right, without pressure from outside, to choose their mode of national 
development. And we will coordinate our activities with all our partners 
on that one.
    In the course of negotiations, we have also assessed the course of 
fulfillment of all--of instructions given on Russia-U.S. relations, and 
I'd like to point out the economic ties and this development President 
just mentioned, the fact that we have a mutual interest towards each 
other, including as regards the growing Russia economy and in the sector 
of energy. We have discussed that in detail.
    Basically, this is always the subject of our bilateral meetings. We 
have vast reserves to further develop our economic interaction, and 
first and foremost, as regards energy dialog, high technologies, space 
research, and you know that over the past years, a lot has been done 
both by U.S. and the Russian Federation in this area jointly.
    We have discussed the possibility of accession of WTO by Russia. We 
discussed that in further detail, and I'm very thankful to the President 
of the U.S. for understanding of our interests during the negotiation 
process. And I hope that at the expert level, too, our specialists will 
be able to ultimately find some practical solutions, even if the 
questions they have to coordinate are quite a few. But the positive 
dynamics is there, and I would like to express the hope that it will 
result in specific outcomes.
    And in conclusion, I'd like to underscore one more time that we are 
convinced with the President that the firm basis of the Russia-U.S. 
partnership should be based on the broad ties of our societies, 
citizens, civil societies. And after this meeting in the White House, we 
will have a chance to talk with the leaders of the American companies. 
And I hope that those meetings will also be of help and be useful, since 
we will discuss specific projects of participation of major U.S. 
companies in the Russian economy, first and foremost, in the energy 
sphere.
    And I'd like to thank, one more time, the U.S. President that even 
if very difficult situation is known right now, where Mother Nature has 
revealed itself, well, he has found it possible to materialize our 
agreements and this meeting has occurred, even if it was clear that 
constantly with his mind, he is out there with his thoughts, with those 
people, with those problems. But still, it was possible to run through 
the entire agenda. We have discussed all the questions there. We have 
agreed on the immediate steps in future, as regards to interaction 
between U.S. and Russian Federation. And I hope this will be a good 
impulse for our cooperation in all those spheres I have just enumerated.
    Thank you very much.
    President Bush. We'll take two questions a side, starting with Terry 
[Terence Hunt, Associated Press].

Hurricane Katrina Recovery/National Debt

    Q. Mr. President, with billions of dollars flowing out of Washington 
for hurricane relief, some Republicans are worried that you're writing a 
blank check that will have to be paid by future generations. Who is

[[Page 1449]]

going to have to pay for this recovery, and what's it going to do to the 
national debt?
    President Bush. First of all, for our citizens who haven't seen what 
I've seen--you've seen what I've seen--it's--we lost a lot of life and a 
lot of property. I mean, the area destroyed by the storm is the size of 
Great Britain. And we've got whole towns just completely flattened, just 
wiped out. And one of our great cities, New Orleans, is--a lot of it is 
underwater. And by ``underwater,'' I mean water over the rooftops. And 
those homes will be destroyed. Thousands of people won't have homes. And 
so this is an enormous task to help the region start growing again.
    One of the commitments that I made last night is for the Federal 
Government to fund a significant portion of the infrastructure repair 
and rebuilding, in other words, our bridges and our roads, our schools. 
The water systems are ruined. The sewer system is ruined. And I meant 
that when I said we will do that. Part of the recovery is to make sure 
there's an infrastructure that works.
    Yesterday in New Orleans, for example, the mayor was so thrilled that a portion of New Orleans, the French 
Quarter, for example, has got lights and sewers--you can't drink the 
water, but the sewer system works. In other words, he's beginning to see 
some life. And it just reminded me that as we can get the infrastructure 
up and running as quickly as possible, get the debris cleared, get the 
infrastructure up and running, then life will begin.
    And so, you bet, it's going to cost money. But I'm confident we can 
handle it, and I'm confident we can handle our other priorities. It's 
going to mean that we're going to have to make sure we cut unnecessary 
spending. It's going to mean we don't do--we've got to maintain economic 
growth, and therefore, we should not raise taxes. Our working people 
have had to pay a tax, in essence, by higher gasoline prices. And we 
don't need to be taking more money out of their pocket. And as we spend 
the money, we got to make sure we spend it wisely. And so we're going to 
have inspectors general overseeing the expenditure of the money.
    Our OMB will work with Congress to figure out where we need to 
offset when we need to offset, so that we can manage not only to 
maintain economic growth and vitality but to be able to spend that which 
is necessary to help this region get back on its feet. So it's a big 
role for the Federal Government.
    There's a big role for private sector. And that's why I call for 
economic growth zones, an economic enterprise zone. Look, there's not 
going to be any revenues coming out of that area for a while anyway, so 
we might as well give them good tax relief in order to get jobs there 
and investment there. It makes sense. The entrepreneurial spirit is 
what's going to help lift this part of the world up. So we've got a--I 
started laying out the outlines of a plan, and it's one that we want to 
work with Congress on.
    Q. What will it cost?
    President Bush. Well, it's going to cost whatever it costs. We're 
going to be wise about the money we spend. I mean, you're--we haven't 
totaled up all the bridges and highways, but I said we'll make a 
commitment to rebuild the infrastructure and--to help rebuild the 
infrastructure. We're also spending money on--$2,000 a family to help 
these people get back on their feet. There's a variety of programs. The 
key question is to make sure the costs are wisely spent and that we work 
with Congress to make sure that we are able to manage our budget in a 
wise way. And that is going to mean cutting other programs.
    Do you want to call on somebody?

Russia-U.S. Relations

    Q. The Russian-U.S. relationship largely is based on your good 
personal relations. In year 2008, you both will cease to be Presidents. 
So have you laid any guarantees

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so that U.S.-Russia relationship could go on not worse than it does 
right now?
    President Bush. That's a good question.
    President Putin. Are they already firing us? We still want to work. 
[Laughter] To be serious, well, I might say that guarantees of the 
positive development of the U.S.-Russia relations are based on the 
mutual interests to develop such relations between the two countries. 
With their steps, leaders can either help such an objective processes of 
development or be an impediment. We try to do whatever it takes to 
support this process. So far, we are responsible and will continue to do 
so.
    President Bush. For example, we will leave behind some legacies: the 
Moscow Treaty, which commits both countries to reducing our nuclear 
warheads; trade. In other words, as our countries and different 
companies begin to invest--companies begin to invest in both countries, 
that leaves behind a legacy that will be hard for future governments to 
undo. There's kind of a strategic dialog. We get in habits sometimes, 
and the idea of setting a way for governments to talk to each other at 
different levels of government is a good legacy.
    And so, we do have 3 more years, which I found out is a long period 
of time. And we'll be able to do more together that people--that future 
governments will view as a way to move forward to keep the peace and to 
be--to deal with big issues in a complex world.
    Steve [Steve Holland, Reuters].

Response to Future U.S. Disasters/Iran

    Q. Last night you said that greater Federal involvement and troops 
may be required in future disasters. Could you elaborate on that a 
little bit? And were you able to convince President Putin on the need to 
send Iran to the Security Council? Sorry to do a two-part.
    President Bush. No, that's--hit me with a two-part question.
    First, on Iran, we agree that the Iranians should not have a nuclear 
weapon. That's important for people to understand. When you share the 
same goal, it means, as you work diplomatically, you're working toward 
that goal.
    Secondly, I am confident that the world will see to it that Iran 
goes to the U.N. Security Council if it does not live up to its 
agreements. And when that referral will happen is a matter of diplomacy. 
And that's what we talked about. We talked about how to deal with this 
situation diplomatically.
    The first part of the question--oh, was how to deal with disasters.
    Q. Federal involvement in disasters.
    President Bush. Yes. I don't want to prejudge the commission's--what 
do they call it, the bipartisan commission that is set up in Congress. I 
don't want to prejudge their findings. But I do think they ought to 
seriously consider the fact that there are--a storm, for example, of a 
certain category, which will require an overwhelming response by 
Government that can only be provided by, say, the United States military 
through NORTHCOM, because of its ability to muster logistical--logistics 
and supplies so quickly. And that's what I want Congress to consider, 
and I think it's very important that Congress consider this.
    It's important for us to learn from the storm what could have been 
done better, for example, and apply that to other types of situations, 
such as a pandemic. At the U.N., I talked about avian flu; we need to 
take it seriously. I talked to Vladimir about avian flu; I talked to 
other world leaders about the potential outbreak of avian flu. If avian 
flu were to hit this country, do we have the proper response mechanisms? 
Does the Federal Government have the authorities necessary to make 
certain decisions? And this storm will give us an opportunity to review 
all different types of circumstance to make sure that the President has 
the capacity to react. And that's what I was referring to. I wasn't

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drawing any conclusions; I was just suggesting that this be a matter of 
debate and discussion with the bipartisan commission that is going to be 
set up there, with Democrats and Republican Senators and Congressmen.
    President Putin. As regards to the Iranian subject, I might as well 
say that the our position is very clear and understandable. We support 
all of the agreements on nonproliferation, which includes Iran among 
others, fully, and we've always, in this regard, been open with our 
partners, transparent completely. And yesterday in the meeting with the 
President of Iran, we directly told him so. And of course, we are 
against the fact that Iran would become a nuclear power, and we'll 
continue to do so in future under any circumstances.
    Now, as regards as to how we can control the situation, there are 
many ways and means to do so. We wouldn't like our--inaccurate steps 
could bring us to the situation similar to that one in the Korean 
Peninsula. We're in touch with all the partners in the process--with the 
European-3, with the U.S. We have understanding of what we need to do, 
and I hope that our activities will be coordinated and will bring 
positive results.
    Once again, yesterday I heard from the Iranian leader, a statement 
that Iran does not seek to acquire nuclear weapons. That's the first 
thing I wanted to share with you.
    Now--and if you allow me, today, this way or the other, still we'll 
come back--and for quite a while, I guess, in future, too--to the fact 
of this horrible catastrophe, which was passed on to the soil of the 
U.S., having to do with this Hurricane Katrine. If, George, you don't 
mind, I would come back to this first question, which relates to the 
fact that we are taking away money from the future generation pockets. 
In the Soviet Union, for many decades, we lived under the motto: We need 
to think about the future generation. But we never thought about the 
existing, current, present generations. And at the end of the day, we 
have destroyed the country, not thinking about the people living today.
    Therefore, of course, yes, we need to spend money. There is no two 
ways about it. And I believe that both U.S. and we in Russia and in 
other countries of the world, we've been analyzing, all of us, what has 
transpired, how the state and the bodies responded to the current 
events. Many of us will draw their conclusions as regards restructuring 
the activities of the relevant services and bodies of the state which 
ought to minimize the repercussions of such catastrophes.
    President Bush. Final question.

Emerging Democracies

    Q. The question to Mr. President of the U.S. Mr. President, while 
talking in the United Nations organization, you, probably 
conscientiously in a row--talking about the strive for the road to 
democracy--mentioned such countries as Afghanistan, Iran, Georgia, 
Ukraine, and Iraq. Do you believe the situation politically in this 
country is similar?
    And to you, Mr. President, since we're talking about it, what is 
your assessment in Iraq and in Ukraine, please? Thank you.
    President Bush. Let me make sure I understand your question. Do I 
believe the country in--the situation in our country is similar to their 
countries?
    Q. You spoke at the United Nations about the strive for democracy--
--
    President Bush. Right.
    Q. ----and you----
    President Bush. I remember that.
    Q. And you mentioned Georgia, Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan--just do 
you think the situation in these countries is similar?
    President Bush. Oh. Well, no, I think they're all different. I 
think, as a matter of fact, democracy tends to reflect the cultures and 
histories of each different country. I do think, though, they're bound 
by some common principles, one, that governments that are elected by the 
people tend to respond to the people, that they've got

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minority rights and rule of law. But they're all on different stages of 
the development of democracy.
    Democracy just doesn't happen. It grows. It takes a while. It's the 
experience of our country. It's the experience of the Russian 
Federation. I mean, democracies take on the customs and habits of the 
particular people, and they mature. And so they're at different stages. 
I mean, clearly, Iraq is a struggling democracy. But one thing is for 
certain: The people have made their mind about what they want. They want 
democracy: 8.5 million Iraqis went to the polls, see, and they've got a 
constitution that's been written. It wasn't written under bayonet or 
under the barrel of a gun. It was written by people from different 
factions of the society that have come together. And it will be voted on 
soon. And then there will be another election. So this is an emerging 
democracy, and it's different from a more mature democracy.
    Q. Can I follow up?
    President Bush. No. [Laughter] Got to keep order and discipline. 
Right, Steve?
    President Putin. On the last question about Iraq and Ukraine--Iraq, 
we are aware of the situation in Iraq. Unfortunately, we are facing 
constant violence, and that relates to known factors having to do with 
the upcoming referendum on constitution there. I believe that if it will 
be possible to get constitution, this will be a good, strong step 
forward to achieve stability in that country.
    In my opinion, it will be only possible if the main political 
forces, ethnic groups, will get a sense that it's their own 
constitution. If this document will be confirmed, agreed upon by the 
overwhelming segments of the population, if the current leadership makes 
a strong case and convinces population that this constitution is 
satisfactory to all, it will maintain territorial integrity, will take 
into account the interests of major minority groups, then it will be a 
real step forward in settlement. And we hope very much that will occur.
    Now, as regards Ukraine, well, what can be said here? The political 
crisis, as I said recently in Berlin, the situation is under control of 
the President.
    President Bush. Good job. Thank you. Good job.

Note: The President's news conference began at 2:59 p.m. in the East 
Room at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to Mayor C. Ray 
Nagin of New Orleans, LA. President Putin referred to President Mahmud 
Ahmadi-nejad of Iran; and President Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine. 
President Putin and some reporters spoke in Russian, and their remarks 
were translated by an interpreter. A portion of this news conference 
could not be verified because the tape was incomplete.