    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book II)]
    [December 11, 2007]
    [Pages 1538-1540]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following a Meeting With President Giorgio
    Napolitano of Italy
    December 11, 2007

        President Bush. Mr. President, it's my honor to welcome you to the
    Oval Office. Our--we just had a very substantive meeting. And it will be
    my honor to feed you a lunch. I doubt it is going to be--the food will
    be as good as the food I had when I visited your beautiful country.
        Bilateral relations with the United States and Italy are very good.
    We have a lot of interchange between our countries, with business as
    well as travel. And there are millions of Italian Americans who will be
    pleased, Mr. President, to know we've got good relations.
        Secondly, we just had a really around-the-world trip as we discussed
    problem areas and our mutual desire to work together to help solve those
    problems.
        We discussed Afghanistan, Lebanon, Kosovo. I briefed the President
    on the recent Annapolis Conference that we hosted to help get the peace
    process started between the Palestinians and Israelis. We had a very
    compatible relation--discussion because by and large, we're in agreement
    on how to advance the solutions to these issues.
        And finally, I'm--have expressed and will continue to dialog with
    the President about my deep concern about Iran. Iran is dangerous.
    Iran--we believe Iran had a secret military weapons program. And Iran
    must

    [[Page 1539]]

    explain to the world why they had a program. Iran has an obligation to
    explain to the IAEA why they hid this program from them. Iran is
    dangerous, and they'll be even more dangerous if they learn how to
    enrich uranium.
        And so I look forward to working with the President to explain our
    strategy and figure out ways we can work together to prevent this from
    happening for the sake of world peace.
        So I'm sure proud to have you here, Mr. President, and welcome.
        President Napolitano. Thank you very much, Mr. President. It has
    been a great pleasure for me to accept your invitation. You kindly
    addressed me 6 months ago when you were in Rome, and we had already then
    very positive talks.
        And in the past few months, there have been important and rather
    positive developments in the international situation. First of all, I
    wanted to express to President Bush my deep appreciation for the
    responsibility he wanted to take to foster negotiations between Israel
    and the Palestinian authorities in view of a peace treaty.
        Italy is present in several areas of crisis. In this moment, it is
    an Italian general who is taking the command of the Kabul region in
    Afghanistan. In Iraq, we give our contribution to the stabilization of
    the country, participating in NATO training activities. And as a matter
    of fact, there has been an undeniable improvement in the security
    conditions in Iraq in the past few months.
        In fact, generally speaking, we share the same concerns, and we
    express a common commitment. And speaking particularly of Kosovo, we
    could verify how close are our positions on the way to deal with the
    independence of Kosovo, taking into account the difficult overall
    situation in the region.
        We want to discuss constructively our positions on all questions and
    all threats. We just want to give our contribution and our idea how to
    face successfully all threats, including the relative threat of nuclear
    weaponization of Iran.
        I just want to add a word about Europe, because in the past few
    months, there has been something important. Europe was able--European
    Union was able to overcome a stalemate, a very dangerous institutional
    stalemate. The constitutional treaty has been put aside, but a new
    treaty has been outlined unanimously, and the day after tomorrow it will
    be signed in Lisbon. And on the basis of this new treaty, which has to
    be ratified by the signed--I am sure it will be ratified by all 27
    member states--we'll have new figures; we'll have new institutions more
    capable to affirm the role of a united Europe on the international
    scene.
        Italy and Europe both must take their responsibilities for
    international security and peace for the cause of liberty and democracy.
    And the more Europe will be united and will be effective, I think the
    better we can reach these goals. We cannot ask the United States to take
    care of our security. International security is a common duty, and
    Europe must be up to this challenge.
        Thank you very much, Mr. President.
        President Bush. Thank you, sir. Glad you're here.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:48 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House. President Napolitano referred to Brig. Gen. Federico Bonato,
    Italian Army, commander, Regional Command Capital, NATO International
    Security Assistance Force, Afghanistan.

    [[Page 1540]]