    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
    [October 13, 2008]
    [Pages 1301-1304]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following Discussions With Prime Minister Silvio
    Berlusconi of Italy
    October 13, 2008

        President Bush. Good morning. Prime Minister Berlusconi and I just
    had a very good discussion. That's exactly the kind of meeting that you
    would expect when good friends get together.
        Mr. Prime Minister, I appreciate your leadership. I want to thank
    you for your gracious words earlier today.
        Prime Minister Berlusconi. Thank you.
        President Bush. I want to thank you for giving the American people
    the honor of celebrating Columbus Day with the leader of Italy.
        For more than 60 years, the United States and Italy have worked
    together to strengthen transatlantic alliances and to help freedom
    expand across Europe. Today, we're addressing global challenges with
    determination and vision and with confidence. America and Italy are
    working to stabilize global financial markets. People all over the world
    are understandably concerned about the global financial crisis and about
    how it will affect their families and their businesses.
        I appreciate Italy's participation in the meeting of the G-7 and G-
    20 finance ministers over the weekend. Both the G-7 and G-20 issued
    important statements committing to work together to help resolve the
    crisis. I welcome the bold and specific follow-up actions by European
    nations to pursue the G-7 action plan. And the United States is also
    acting, and we will continue to implement measures consistent with the
    G-7 action plan to help banks gain access to capital, to strengthen the
    financial system, and to unfreeze credit markets and restore confidence
    in our financial system.

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        These are tough times for our economies, yet we can be confident
    that we can work our way through these challenges. And America will
    continue to work closely with the other nations to coordinate our
    response to this global financial crisis.
        America and Italy are working with other nations to fight terror and
    maintain stability and secure their democratic future. More than 8,300
    Italian troops are deployed in regions of conflict around the world.
    They're helping to fight extremism and to defend liberty and give more
    people the hope of a better future. About 2,100 Italian troops are
    supporting the NATO mission in Afghanistan. Italy leads Regional Command
    West as well as a Provincial Reconstruction Team.
        I appreciate the Prime Minister's willingness to modify restrictions
    on where Italian forces can operate in Afghanistan. Italy has deployed
    Carabinieri to support the NATO training mission in Iraq. They're doing
    a fine job. These are highly professional, highly skilled folks that are
    helping the Iraqi people.
        In Lebanon, Italy is the single largest contributor to the United
    Nations peacekeeping mission. We discussed the need for Syria to respect
    Lebanon's sovereignty, to cease its support for terror, and to open full
    diplomatic relations with Lebanon's elected Government.
        Italy has deployed more than 2,300 troops to maintain stability in
    the Balkans. Our two nations support an independent and democratic
    Kosovo, and we're working to ensure that the new European Union mission
    deploys throughout that country. We agree that all Balkan nations should
    be invited to join the EU and other transatlantic institutions as they
    qualify for membership.
        We discussed Iran. And we agreed that Iran must not be allowed to
    have a nuclear weapon. We discussed the importance of full
    implementation of United Nations sanctions on the regime in Tehran.
        America and Italy are working closely to end the conflict in
    Georgia. We firmly support Georgia's democracy and sovereignty and
    territorial integrity. The United States and the EU agree that the
    territory of Georgia includes the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
    We're working to meet the humanitarian needs of the Georgian people and
    help displaced families return to their homes.
        To earn the respect of the international community, Russia must show
    respect for the sovereignty and territory of its neighbors. Russia must
    accept the responsibilities and obligations of international leadership.
        Mr. Prime Minister, Laura and I are looking
    forward to our dinner with you tonight. We look forward to celebrating
    the enormous contributions that the sons and daughters of Italy have
    made in America, and we look forward to honoring the strong alliance
    that binds our two nations together. Welcome.
        Prime Minister Berlusconi. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Thank
    you for this extraordinary invitation. My presence in Washington today
    is also the tribute of a friendship--personal friendship which binds me
    to President Bush, as well as the friendship between our two peoples.
        And the fact that I'm here on the occasion of the celebration of the
    Columbus Day gives me opportunity of paying homage not only to America,
    but also to Italian Americans. It is also a thank to that America which
    has welcomed and made them part of this country, which offered them the
    opportunity to enjoy wealth and offered them the opportunity to give a
    contribution, which I think has been an important one. Many of the
    Italian Americans now are leading the country. They are--sit in Congress
    and the Supreme Court, in the State government buildings and key roles
    of this administration, the administration of the biggest democracy in
    the world.
        Our two countries have tackled together also recently the challenges
    and the problems. Our friendship is a special friendship

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    which has its roots in common values, in sharing a world which is
    inspired by love for democracy and freedom. This is the deep meaning of
    this bond, not only a personal bond, which I have for President Bush,
    but also the bond which unites our two countries and our two peoples.
        Today more than ever, values do matter, in a moment when two
    visions--opposing visions of the world are confronted. The vision of
    ignorance, of prevarication, violence on the one hand, and the vision of
    freedom, of respect of right and equality of all human beings on the
    other side.
        Over these years, we have shared a difficult historical moment, the
    tragic September--9/11, which has changed the world. We have been called
    upon to tackle difficult challenges, being aware of the fact that
    enemies must be defeated with every means available, with the strength
    of our beliefs and our heritage of ideals. The globalized world
    continues to test us by submitting us to bigger and new challenges--that
    we can't but give concrete answers to these challenges.
        And once again was the fact of being concrete and the efficacy of
    the actions we agree upon, which is helping us to solve one of the most
    recent crises, which have affected our countries, that of the financial
    crisis, which we must absolutely prevent from being a crisis affecting
    real economy as well.
        Upon indication of the other leaders of the countries which in
    Europe share the single--the same currency, I reported and briefed
    President Bush about what we decided yesterday during the summit meeting
    of the Euro area countries. This proposal will be then submitted to the
    European Council meeting, which will be held on Wednesday. And I also
    informed the President Bush that today at 3 o'clock, in various
    countries--Germany, U.K., Italy, France--council of ministers meetings
    were hold, which have concretely implemented through low regulations
    provisions the decisions which were made yesterday, in order to support
    real economy, in order to make it possible for liquidity to be
    guaranteed to our banking systems, so that banks can continue to play
    their role and do their job, that is, support investments by businesses
    and companies and support consumption.
        I think this is really the objective we must pursue with a
    coordinated and concerted action, that is, what has been developed over
    the world--in the world of markets, which have moved away from reality,
    should not affect the reality of economies. And the concerted and common
    action between the United States and Europe will certainly have chances
    to make the real economy--to prevent real economy from being affected by
    what has happened all over the world in the financial markets.
        So we will continue to work together. President Bush has also
    expressed the intention to have a meeting among the leaders in--within
    the G-8 in the next few weeks. I absolutely agree with him. I think that
    everything which can be done for a coordinated action, just to pursue a
    common method and behave in the same way versus this global crisis, is
    something which is positive.
        I would like to close my statement by telling President Bush and
    expressing my appreciation, my friendship, my congratulations, and my
    love and esteem. I've been working with him very well. There has never
    been a moment when I saw in him interests which are not general
    interest. I never saw biased interest. There has never been a moment
    when I saw in him something different from a very sincere and pure
    feelings and sentiment.
        He is a person--he is a man of vision. He is an idealist. And also,
    he has the courage of implementing what he believes is right, what he
    thinks needs to be done to pursue the ideals which he considers to be
    right for himself, his people, and the world. The United States has
    taken over the responsibility of taking care of the world.

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        I would like to express special thanks to President Bush and to his
    people for what America and United States have been doing over these
    years. And not only did they save us, save Europe from communism, nazism
    many years ago, but it--also, the United States has helped us to achieve
    welfare, wealth, and well-being. They were next to us over the cold war
    years. Every time that wounds opened in the world, the United States
    sent its troops, paying a very high price in terms of human lives, to
    guarantee freedom--not only the United States, but the rest of the world
    as well.
        And I think we--all European citizens must be grateful to the United
    States for this. We must be grateful to the American people. We must bow
    in front of the sacrifices and the sacrifices of so many lives. And we
    have to state and say that never, ever--the U.S. troops continued to
    stay in countries where they had intervened to help people save their
    lives, so they did never stay there to occupy out of interest. And this
    has to be remembered by all Europeans.
        Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you for being here. And believe me,
    believe me that my feelings are shared by the great majority of Italians
    and European citizens as well.
        Thank you very much. Thank you again.
        President Bush. Thank you. Good job.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:05 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White
    House. Prime Minister Berlusconi spoke in Italian, and his remarks were
    translated by an interpreter.