    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
    [May 30, 2007]
    [Pages 639-640]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Nomination of Robert B. Zoellick To Be President of the World Bank
    May 30, 2007

        The President. Good morning. I thank Secretary of Treasury
    Paulson for joining us today. I'm
    pleased to announce that I will nominate Bob Zoellick to be the 11th
    President of the World Bank.
        Bob Zoellick has had a long and distinguished career in diplomacy
    and development economics. It has prepared him well for this new
    assignment. He is a committed internationalist. He has earned the trust
    and support of leaders from every region of the world. He is deeply
    devoted to the mission of the World Bank. He wants to help struggling
    nations defeat poverty, to grow their economies, and offer their people
    the hope of a better life. Bob Zoellick is deeply committed to this
    cause.
        Since the end of the Second World War, the advance of trade and
    technology has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty.
    Some call this globalization; I call it the triumph of human liberty,
    stretching across national borders. Every day, the expansion of trade
    creates tremendous new opportunities for people. Unfortunately, too many
    people are shut out from these opportunities, especially the nearly 1
    billion men, women, and children who live on less than $1 a day. Bob
    Zoellick understands that there are about 1 billion men, women, and
    children who live on less than $1 a day, and he's committed to doing
    something about it.
        The United States has a moral and national interest in helping poor
    and struggling countries transform themselves into free and hopeful
    societies. The job of the World Bank is to help reduce poverty and raise
    living standards in the poorest nations. The Bank does this by helping
    these nations strengthen good government, develop sound financial
    markets, uphold property rights, and combat corruption.
        The United States is the Bank's largest donor. And the reason we
    are, is because we believe that it is essential to help developing
    nations build growing economies that will provide jobs and opportunities
    for all their citizens.
        Bob Zoellick brings a wealth of experience and energy to this task.
    Over the past three decades, he's held important posts in government,
    business, and higher education. And in these posts, he has worked on
    issues ranging from German unification, Latin American debt relief, to
    the transition of post-Soviet economies.
        For the past 6 years--or most of the past 6 years--he has served as
    a member of my Cabinet. As the United States Trade Representative, he
    helped bring China and Taiwan into the World Trade Organization,
    launched the Doha round of trade talks at the WTO, and significantly
    increased the number of U.S. free trade agreements.
        Bob has had a strong voice for Africa. He's helped implement the
    African Growth and Opportunity Act that has increased America's trade
    with that continent.
        He has served on the board of the Millennium Challenge Corporation,
    an initiative designed to change the way we deliver foreign aid. In
    2005, I asked Bob to serve as the Deputy Secretary of State. In that
    role, he managed a global staff of 57,000 people; he played a leading
    role in our

    [[Page 640]]

    engagement with China; and he traveled frequently to Darfur and southern
    Sudan to help find a path for peace. Most recently, he has been vice
    chairman international at Goldman Sachs. In short, it would probably be
    easier to list all the jobs Bob hasn't had.
        This man is eminently qualified, and when he takes his place at the
    World Bank, he will replace another able public servant, Paul
    Wolfowitz. Paul is a man of character and
    integrity. Under his leadership, the World Bank increased its support
    for the world's poorest countries to a record $9.5 billion in 2006. Half
    of this money goes to sub-Sahara Africa. It's home to some of the
    poorest folks. As Paul has helped steer more resources to these
    countries, he has instituted reforms designed to make sure that these
    resources are used wisely and achieve good results.
        Paul took control over the World Bank
    at a critical moment. He's taken many steps to ensure that the Bank can
    meet the needs of developing nations in this new century. These steps
    include strengthening the Bank's role in combating malaria. These steps
    include establishing a rapid response in fragile-states policy to
    respond more quickly to nations recovering from crisis or war. These
    steps include the Clean Energy Investment Framework, a Bank initiative
    designed to help bring cleaner and more efficient technologies to
    developing countries.
        In these and many other ways, Paul Wolfowitz has made the World Bank a more effective partner for
    development. I thank him for his dedication to the poor and his devotion
    to the good work of the World Bank.
        Bob Zoellick is the right man to succeed Paul in this vital work.
    He's a leader who motivates employees. He builds a constituent support
    and focuses on achieving goals. I'm pleased that he has, once again,
    agreed to serve our country.
        Congratulations.

     [At this point, President-designate Zoellick made brief remarks.]

        The President. Thanks, Bob. Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:02 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House. The transcript released by the Office of the Press
    Secretary also included the remarks of President-designate Zoellick.