    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
    [April 2, 2008]
    [Pages 456-461]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's News Conference With President Traian Basescu of Romania in Neptun, Romania
    April 2, 2008

        President Basescu. Well, Mr. President, you will be the first.
        President Bush. Well, thank you very much. Buna ziua. Mr. President,
    thank you very much for your warm hospitality. Laura and I are thrilled to be with you and your lovely
    wife. I can't think of a better place to meet.
    It's such a beautiful setting, and you're awfully kind to have invited
    us to be here. After all, that's what friends do, though. And our
    relationship is very strong, and it's very friendly.
        I admire your courage, and I admire your leadership. And I want to
    thank you for hosting us--hosting NATO in Bucharest. It is--you know,
    it's a big deal. And what's interesting is, 20 years ago, our nations
    were separated by a cold war, and Romania was a member of the Warsaw
    Pact, and the Romanian people suffered under a cruel dictator. Today,
    think how things have changed. The Romanian people are free; we're
    strong allies. We appreciate you in NATO, and I want to thank you for
    your historic contributions to NATO.
        I want to thank you and the people of Romania for your contributions
    to Afghanistan. There are about 600 Romanian troops there. The Afghan
    people are grateful, as am I. I want to thank you for your contribution
    to the troops in Iraq. These are tough decisions, but I think they're
    necessary decisions to keep the peace. You and I have discussed our
    desire to work closely with those countries to encourage their success,
    for their sake and for the sake of peace.
        I appreciate very much our discussions we had on NATO enlargement.
    Romania and the United States agree that our alliance must continue to
    be open to new members that share our values and to make tough choices
    to reform and--countries that are willing to address our security needs
    jointly. To this end, I strongly believe that Croatia, Albania, and
    Macedonia should join NATO as full members, that we ought to extend MAP
    to Ukraine and Georgia, and that we strongly support the requests of
    Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina for intensified dialogue with the NATO
    alliance, and that we ought to open the door to closer cooperation with
    Serbia. And I thank you for your advice on these issues, and I
    appreciate your stand.
        I also appreciate your leadership in the Black Sea region. Maybe
    that's why you invited me here, because you're showing such good
    leadership in the Black Sea region. [Laughter] But we share your
    concerns about enhanced security and making sure this part of the world
    becomes relevant in a global economy. That's why we've contributed $10
    million to the Black Sea Trust, to help fund programs across the region,
    to strengthen civil society programs, the rule of law, and democratic
    governance.
        I want to thank you very much for your view of the market: that
    markets flourish and grow when entrepreneurs are encouraged. The
    Romanian economy is strong. One of the reasons we launched the Romanian-
    American education foundation and

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    made it go forward is because of the success of your economy and your
    entrepreneurs. And I want to congratulate you on your rate of growth and
    on your vision.
        And all in all, Mr. President, I am really glad I came. And I thank
    you and Mrs. for your hospitality. I appreciate the really good lunch.
    If the American press hasn't eaten Romanian ice cream, I strongly
    suggest you try it. [Laughter]
        Thank you very much, sir.
        President Basescu. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Firstly, Mr.
    President, I would like to extend my thanks to you for offering the
    invitation to reserve a few hours for a visit on the land where I was
    born, in Dobrogea on the Black Sea shore. Just as we have discussed in
    Washington 2005, 2006, our partnership has exceeded for long time the
    stage of a simple partnership, military partnership, a partnership that
    was envisaged firstly Romanian security.
        We're now in the stage of the partnership with a very strong and
    consistent economic component. Following 2005, Oracle was present in
    Romania, also Smithfield, with great investment in the food industry,
    and lastly, also Ford is present here. And this means that the Romanian-
    American partnership covers practically all the aspects, and we hope to
    a further development.
        I would like to extend my thanks to you for the attention that your
    administration has been paying to the Black Sea region, for your concern
    related to the security in the Black Sea region, and for your concern
    related to the need to guarantee democracy in the Black Sea region.
        Moreover, Mr. President, I would like to underline the confidence
    that United States has had in the Romanian Army by placing under
    Romanian command important troops in Afghanistan. It was a token of
    confidence that you have given to us, and we are aware that it is very
    rare that the United States placed their troops under the command of
    other countries. Thank you very much.
        To conclude, I would like to underline the similarity of approach
    concerning the region where we find--whether we speak about the Balkans
    or Ukraine or Georgia. Our approaches envisage mainly Romania's security
    and the security of the region. And we're glad to see that although the
    United States are far from this region, they have understood our
    concerns, the priorities of our country and of our region. Thank you
    very much, Mr. President, for answering with no hesitation to what we
    have established.
        I would like to assure you at the same time that Romania will
    respect all its engagements, both the ones related to the relation with
    NATO and with the European Union, and also the ones related to the
    partnership and our bilateral relation. Thank you.
        Questions?
        President Bush. Are we starting with the Americans? Who do you think
    I ought to call on? Okay, I'll call on Roger [Roger Runningen, Bloomberg
    News].

    NATO Troop Levels in Afghanistan

        Q. Thank you, Mr. President. On Afghanistan, you're seeking
    increased commitments from NATO. There are been--have been some new
    pledges. Are they enough? How many figures--how many troops are needed?
    Are you satisfied with the pledges, and what are the consequences if
    those pledges fall short?
        President Bush. We expect our NATO allies to shoulder the burden
    necessary to succeed. And to this end, as you know, I've committed
    3,200--3,500 additional marines to send a clear signal that we're
    willing to do our part.
        I was very pleased to listen to the comments of President
    Sarkozy, where he indicated his willingness
    to increase troop presence. Other nations have agreed to step up,
    including Romania. And so we'll see how it goes. That's what summits are
    for. Summits are for opportunities for people to make clear their
    intentions about how

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    they intend to support this very important mission.
        And obviously, I am grateful for any nation that contributes troops
    to Afghanistan, as are the Afghan people. And clearly some nations are
    more capable than others of--in sending troops into combat, into harm's
    way. We fully understand the politics that prohibit some nations from
    contributing, but nations need to take this mission seriously because
    it's in our mutual interests. It's in our interest, of course, to help
    young democracies survive. But in this case, it's in our interest to
    help succeed, because we don't want an enemy that has been known to
    attack people--nations in our alliance--to be able to develop safe haven
    again, to be able to use a launching pad like Afghanistan to plot, plan,
    and attack.
        So this is a vital mission. And it's hard work. It's a tough
    mission. And our allies have got to understand it's hard. Taking
    democracy out of the rubble of this--of the Taliban is hard to do, just
    like it is in Iraq. So the question nations have to ask: Is it worth it?
    And my answer is, absolutely, it's worth it--and so is the President--
    it's worth it for our own security, and it's worth it for the cause of
    peace.
        President Basescu. Thank you. Regarding Afghanistan, we have a main
    idea that any lack of success of the NATO in Afghanistan will diminish
    dramatically the credibility of our organization. And for the time
    being, the civilized world don't have alternatives to the security than
    NATO. We have to do everything what we can in order to make a success in
    our action in Afghanistan: granting democratic development of the
    country, economic development of the country, security of the country,
    and eliminating the terrorist risks which are generated by this region.
    Sure, we have a extremely clear idea if we don't keep the terrorists in
    Afghanistan. If we will let them free, they'll come in Europe, they'll
    come in United States. For this reason, we have to win; we have to
    obtain the victory in Afghanistan.

    Romania/Black Sea Region

        Q. President, getting back to Romania now, behind you there is the
    Black Sea. Romania has insisted----
        President Bush. And a few birds too. [Laughter]
        Q. ----there is time--has insisted that NATO has to focus its
    attention upon this region as well. Following the talks today, did you
    establish a common vision, Romania-United States, as regards the future
    of this region?
        President Basescu. [Inaudible]
        Q. For both, thank you.
        President Bush. Okay, thank you. Your English is better than you let
    on. [Laughter] I take the advice of the President on the Black Sea. He
    knows it well. After all, he's sailed many a vessel on this--as a matter
    of fact, I was asking the President about his days as a seafarer, a
    captain, and he explained to me that recently he got his captain's
    license renewed. [Laughter] So not only does--is he a skillful person,
    he loves the Black Sea, and he understands the potential of the Black
    Sea.
        And that's why we were happy to contribute to the Black Sea Trust
    Fund, as a way to help him and other visionary leaders realize the full
    potential of the Black Sea region. I mean, there's work to be done on
    regional security matters. Obviously, to the extent that people feel
    like they can smuggle people or drugs, then there needs to be a strategy
    to deal with that. The idea of trafficking human beings is abhorrent,
    and nobody in--any civilized person who accepts that, you know, is
    just--needs to have their head examined. And yet the President fully
    understands that cooperation here will help deal with the issue.
        We need to promote economic cooperation. There's great potential--
    economic potential here. We need to promote the scenario where you can
    promote energy independence. All nations ought to have a variety of
    sources of energy from which to

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    choose, so it's never become captured by a single supplier.
        And so I fully understand the strategic importance of this area, and
    there's been nobody more clear and articulate on the subject than the
    President. And I want to thank you for your leadership.
        President Basescu. Thank you, Mr. President. As regards the Black
    Sea, the talks has--have also comprised the idea of supporting the
    states that have democratic options, of consolidating their
    institutions. The main idea, this main focus was on combating the
    asymmetric risks, such as the drug trafficking, persons trafficking,
    arms trafficking, and not lastly, our objective, the objectives that
    Romania's allies have endorsed, be it the European Union that has issued
    the Black Sea Synergy document, be it NATO. Our objective is that this
    region becomes a secure region, because nobody can be certain about the
    future if the security is not guaranteed. And this is the major
    objective that Romania has been promoting, the objective that our allies
    have endorsed and that we support further on, and that will remain a
    major foreign policy objective for Romania.
        President Bush. Jim [Jim Gerstenzang, Los Angeles Times].

    Russia/Missile Defense System/Global Security Cooperation

        Q. Mr. President, you pointed out this morning how much the NATO
    mission has changed. It's changed dramatically over the past decades.
    Russia still seems to be casting a huge shadow, most recently with
    missile defense, with NATO expansion. Has some things not changed? Can
    you avoid a--what would appear to be something of a diplomatic train
    wreck when you meet with President Putin?
        President Bush. I mean, look, I'm going to meet with President
    Putin to make it clear to him the cold war
    is over and Russia is not our enemy and that there's common ground.
    Obviously, I've had my disagreements with the President in the past,
    and--but there's also areas where we need to work in common, such as
    proliferation and dealing with terror. And I've got some convincing to
    do, but he needs to understand, the missile defense system is aimed at--
    aimed primarily at rogue regimes coming out of the Middle East that
    could hold us all hostage. And this is a good--it's a good chance for me
    to sit down and have yet another heart-to-heart with him. And I'm more
    than happy to do so.
        I made it clear yesterday that NATO needs to look at expansion in
    our interests, not--and not give any nation a veto power over whether or
    not NATO ought to extend MAP membership and/or membership. And so it's--
    you know, I understand Russian concerns about the expanse of NATO. They
    were concerned when Romania got into NATO, I'm confident. But look what
    a great partner and a peaceful neighbor Romania is. I mean, Romania has
    no warlike aspirations. These are people who want to help other
    democracies thrive and, at the same time, see their economy grow. I've
    explained to President Putin: Democracies
    on the border of Russia are in their interest.
        And so this is a good opportunity. I don't mind a good, frank
    discussion with President Putin. He
    doesn't mind telling me what's on his mind either. We've had 7 years
    working together, a chance to have some pretty candid exchanges. And
    secondly--and this is his last--this will be our last face-to-face
    meeting as his Presidency. And I'll thank him. I'll thank him for being
    candid with me. I'll thank him for serving his nation. I have no
    animosity toward President Putin. Just because you don't agree on issues
    doesn't mean you can't find a cordiality, to be able to discuss things
    in a frank manner, and that's the way our relationship has been. We--I
    met with him a lot in the course of my Presidency, and I appreciate the
    fact that he invited me to Sochi.
        And so I have no--I'm not going to set any kind of expectations. I
    guess you are.

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    You call it a diplomatic train wreck; I call it an opportunity to sit
    down and have a good, frank discussion again. And we'll see what
    happens, what comes out of it. It's a good opportunity for me to say
    goodbye and to see whether or not we can sign the strategic dialogue
    that will serve our nations' interest after his Presidency and mine.
        President Basescu. From our point of view--and I would like to make
    a comment here that does not necessarily answer your question--but
    Romania has a relatively simple approach in relation to its ties with
    Russia. Firstly, we have to admit that all--we all, and particularly the
    former Communist states, must equally and perhaps more--to a larger
    extent, Russia, we all have to overcome the logics of the cold war,
    because at present, there is nothing to justify this approach, this
    logic. Each independent state is free to have its options, and nobody
    can have the right--the veto right upon the options of an independent
    state.
        But apart from this statement that regards more the principles, I
    would like to point out--to refer to some issues that from our point of
    view are threats. For example, terrorist is a threat equally for Russia,
    for America, for Spain, and it can materialize at any time against
    Ukraine, against Georgia. So I would like to--I could say that in this
    point, in this respect, we are all at the same level of risk.
        The trafficking in arms is an equal threat for the Russian
    Federation, for the United States, for Romania, for Ukraine, for
    Georgia, for Albania as well. This is another issue that we have to
    fight against together. The trafficking in narcotics that transforms
    into money for arms and into generations of youth that are deeply
    affected--this threat affects equally the Russian Federation, Romania,
    America, France, Germany. Trafficking in human beings is another risk
    that affects equally Russia, America, Ukraine, Romania. And a possible
    cyber attack can be deployed with an equal risk for Russia, for Romania,
    for America. Missile attacks that are deployed by countries that do not
    respect the rules, that are not part of the proliferation treaties--this
    risk can affect, at any time, the Russian Federation, America, Romania,
    Ukraine.
        Seeing--finding that the risks are the same, are almost similar for
    everybody, why can't we find a common ground for solidarity between us,
    among us--NATO member states, Russia Federation, aspiring NATO states--a
    common ground for generating the same policy? Actually, the only thing
    that hinders us from acting united against the risks that affect us
    equally is the fact that some of us are still attached to the logics, to
    the approach of the cold war, and do not have an equal respect for the
    democratic rights of the peoples.

    U.S. Visa Policy/Romania-U.S. Relations

        Q. Mr. President, the Romanian people, the Romanians have a great
    expectations with regards to the very good ties, political and economic,
    between the two states. In a very practical manner, they will ask, when
    will we have the same regime as the other citizens from the European
    Union with regards to the visas? Could we have a deadline for this when
    we could travel freely to the United States?
        President Bush. First of all, your President was very articulate on
    the subject of visas. One of the benefits of having a good friendship is
    that he's not afraid of telling me what's on his mind. [Laughter] And he
    made it abundantly clear that visa policy in America must take into
    account Romanian past and also Romanian future and present. In other
    words--and I fully understand the frustrations of the Romanian people. I
    understand it. I understand that a citizen says: ``Wait a minute. We're
    contributing soldiers in Iraq, and yet we're not necessarily treated
    like other nations in the European collective or European Union.''
        And those frustrations are clearly understandable. That's why I went
    to Congress and tried to get them to modernize the

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    visa law. And all they--although they changed the law, it still creates
    certain hurdles for nations like Romania. And I assured the President
    that we will work with him as best as we can to adhere to our law and
    to, at the same time, understands the contradictions.
        It's--hopefully, the new law will--and our cooperation--will make it
    easier for Romanian citizens to come and visit their relatives. And
    obviously, to the extent that somebody tries to come and not come back
    is something we all got to guard about. That's--but the idea of somebody
    coming to visit a relative or a long-lost cousin to say hello and to see
    what America is like and then come back to Romania is an issue that we
    just got to be thoughtful about.
        And so yes, I mean, this is--this subject came up. It is clear
    there's a level of frustration. I explained our new law is in effect,
    and we'll work closely with the Romanian Government to meet our law and,
    at the same time, meet the demands of a strong and good ally.
        Thank you. Thank you very much.
        President Basescu. Thank you very much.
        President Bush. Right, you want to go over here?
        President Basescu. Just a moment.
        President Bush. Oh, you got----
        President Basescu. Just a moment.
        President Bush. He's not through.
        President Basescu. The information I would like to add to refer to
    two delicate issues, issues that are visible for the Romanian public. We
    have also approached--we have also addressed the visa issue and also the
    Teo Peter issue. And we hope to find, in time, the decision taken by
    President Bush was that, in the near future, we will launch the
    bilateral mechanism that--apart from the European ones. And referring to
    the other issue, to find as fast as possible a reasonable solution
    acceptable for the family of Teo Peter.
        Thank you.
        President Bush. He's going to show me this wharf out here.
    [Laughter]

    Note: The President's news conference began at 1:40 p.m. at the Protocol
    Villas Neptun-Olimp. In his remarks, he referred to Maria Basescu, wife
    of President Basescu; President Nicolas Sarkozy of France; and President
    Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. President Basescu and some reporters spoke
    partly in Romanian, and those portions of their remarks were translated
    by an interpreter.