    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [September 19, 2006]
    [Pages 1672-1673]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Luncheon Hosted by Secretary-General Kofi Annan of the United Nations in New York City
    September 19, 2006

        Mr. Secretary-General, distinguished members of the United Nations
    community, Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, we're proud to
    welcome you here to our country.
        I'm pleased to be with you at the 61st session of the United Nations
    General Assembly, this year under the President--under the leadership of
    President Sheikha Khalifa
    from Bahrain, the first woman from the Middle East to serve in this
    position. We welcome her presence on the podium.
        Mr. Secretary-General, it is appropriate that we offer you a toast
    today, a toast based upon our gratitude for your 10 years of service to
    this important body. We need to toast your compassion, when the world
    saw the United Nations respond to natural disasters. We need to toast
    your desire for peace. We need to toast the fact that you're a hard
    worker. For those of you who have had the honor of taking phone calls
    from Kofi Annan, you know that he's not always calling from the same
    address. I've talked to him a lot of times during my time as President,
    and a lot of times my discussions with him came from when he was in
    faraway places, because he cares deeply about the world.
        We need to toast the fact that he loves his wife, and his wife loves him. We need to toast the fact that
    he is a decent, honorable man. We need to raise our glasses to 10 years
    of extraordinary service and be thankful that a man such as Kofi Annan
    was willing to stand up and serve the cause of justice and peace.
        And so now if you'll join me in a toast to a good man and a good
    friend, and we ask for God's blessings on you.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:14 p.m. at the United Nations
    Headquarters. In his remarks, he referred to Sheikha Haya Rashed Al
    Khalifa, President, 61st Session of the U.N. General Assembly; and Nane
    Maria Annan, wife of Secretary-General Annan. The transcript released by
    the Office of the Press Secretary also included the remarks of
    Secretary-General Annan. A tape was not available for verification of
    the content of these remarks.

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