    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
    [September 19, 2008]
    [Pages 1211-1212]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following a Meeting With Prime Minister Nasir al-Muhammad al-
    Ahmad al-Sabah of Kuwait
    September 19, 2008

        President Bush. Your Excellency, thanks for coming. Kuwait is a
    strategic partner of the United States, and our discussion today was
    befitting of our strategic partnership.
        We talked about a lot of issues. One issue we talked about was Iraq.
    And I do want to thank Your Excellency for naming an Ambassador to Iraq.
    It's a recognition on your part that a stable and peaceful Iraq is in
    your interests. And we support those interests.
        I also want to thank you for being such a good security partner in
    the region. I can remember fondly coming to Kuwait

    [[Page 1212]]

    and going to our base there and how appreciative our commanders and our
    folks based there were for the hospitality of your country.
        We talked about the economic situation here in the United States,
    and I told His Highness--His Excellency I'm going to go give a speech
    here in a minute.
        And all in all, it was a very good discussion. And I thank you for
    your friendship, and I welcome you to the United States.
        Prime Minister Nasir. Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of my
    delegation, I want to thank you for the hospitality, the warm welcome.
    The discussions that we have had here, Mr. President, concern all the
    international arena. Our people cannot forget the position that United
    States took--the leadership and the coalition forces--to liberate Kuwait
    in '91.
        And since United States has become one of our allies in the region,
    the discussion that we have had is the mutual interests between both
    countries in all these fields. And we are happy, we are glad to see that
    everything is moving very, very well between the two countries.
        Thank you again, and I bring the best wishes of the Amir, the Crown
    Prince, and the people of Kuwait. Thank you, sir, and the people of
    United States.
        President Bush. Thank you, sir.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:11 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House. In his remarks, Prime Minister Nasir referred to Amir Sabah al-
    Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah and Crown Prince Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-
    Sabah of Kuwait.