[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 16 (Monday, April 23, 2001)]
[Pages 632-634]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Prior to Discussions With President Fernando de la Rua of 
Argentina and an Exchange With Reporters

April 19, 2001

    President Bush. I want to thank the President from Argentina for 
coming here. It is my honor to welcome a friend of America. This is a 
country that has been our friend for a long period of time, and I intend 
to keep our friendship strong, Mr. President. I appreciate so very much 
your working hard to work through the economic difficulties that you've 
had. You're making a very strong effort to recover. I know it's been 
difficult, but you've been a very strong leader.
    I appreciate, also, your willingness at times to commit troops as 
peacekeepers. Your country has been a very strong supporter of keeping 
the peace around the world.
    I look forward to telling the President that one of the main 
strategies of our foreign policy is to have strong relations in our 
hemisphere. It begins with remembering our friends. The President 
represents a country that is a close friend of the United States.
    So welcome, Mr. President. Bienvenidos a los Estados Unidos.
    President de la Rua. Muchas gracias, Senor Presidente. Thank you 
very much, Mr. President.

[At this point, President de la Rua spoke in Spanish, and a translation 
was not provided.]

    President Bush. Thank you, Mr. President.
    Well, I have a couple of questions from--the United States will 
alternate to the Argentinean press, and back and forth for two rounds.
    Ron Fournier [Associated Press].

U.S. Troop Deployment

    Q. Thank you, sir. Mr. President, as part of your--this is a little 
off topic--as part of your broader review of troop deployments, are you 
considering pulling out of the Sinai? And if so, why?
    President Bush. We are looking at all troop deployments around the 
world. Where we can reduce troops without creating instability, we will 
do so. One of the things I said during the course of the campaign and 
right after my inauguration is that we would be reviewing and looking at 
and analyzing our troop deployments.
    I've always felt that we're overextended, which creates morale 
problems within our military. On the other hand, I understand we've made 
commitments, and we just won't simply walk away from our commitments.

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We'll consult with our allies. We'll lay the groundwork for reductions 
if, in fact, we think it is in our Nation's best interest and the 
world's interest to keep reductions.
    So to answer your question, we're reviewing all opportunities to 
reduce the amount of troops around the world.
    Q. And that includes the Sinai as part of that review?
    President Bush. We're reviewing every place we have troops deployed.

Argentina

    Q. President Bush, are you ready to support Argentina to solve 
economic and social problems they're facing now?
    President Bush. We are. Our Treasury Department is working closely 
with their counterparts in the Argentinean Government. We want our 
friend to do well economically. It is in our interest that a trading 
partner of ours be strong economically. We're working closely with the 
new Minister of Finance. We're listening to what he's doing. We believe 
the country is making progress. I'm aware of what the country and the 
leadership wants to do with the IMF, and we believe we're making good 
progress toward a stabilization plan.
    That's the short-term solution, of course, is, IMF help that now 
exists and whether or not the IMF is going to provide some kind of 
latitude toward the Government as it makes strides toward reforms. But 
longer term is what the President talked about, and that is to promote 
free trade, free trade all throughout our hemisphere. In one day's time, 
we'll both be in Quebec City talking about trade. And I'm going to be 
very aggressive about pushing a free trade agenda for the hemisphere, 
and I'm so pleased to hear the President say the same words.
    Q. Mr. President, should you look at some----
    President Bush. Let me say one thing. I think it may make sense, Mr. 
President, if you speak a little bit, and then let the translator 
translate. Unfortunately, not many people here speak Spanish, like I do. 
[Laughter]
    President de la Rua. Thank you very much for your words of support 
and trust in our country. But please, I wouldn't like anyone to think I 
have come here to ask Mr. Bush money. [Laughter] We do have relations 
with the international lending institutions, and our financing is 
already insured.
    What we would want is more freedom in trade. And I very much value 
the support expressed by Mr. Bush for Argentina, where there are so many 
U.S. investments, and definitely, we would like this to increase.
    President Bush. Grandfather [Bill Plante, CBS News]. [Laughter]

Sanctions and Energy Supplies

    Q. Mr. President, should the U.S. look at easing some of the 
economic sanctions on Iran, Iraq, and Libya in the interest of getting 
more oil into this country?
    President Bush. You know, we're looking at--in our energy review, 
we're looking at all opportunities to create more energy supply, to take 
the pressure off of price. At the same time, I think it's important for 
the country to review all sanction policies to make sure they are 
effective. And--but I have no intention as of this moment for taking 
sanctions off of countries like Iran or Libya.
    We've made it clear to the Libyans that the sanctions will remain 
until such time as they not only compensate for the bombing of the 
aircraft but also admit their guilt and express remorse.
    And as far as Iran goes, it's too early at this time in our 
relationships to really--it's one thing to consider; it's another thing 
to act on sanctions. I don't intend to do that anytime soon.
    Uno mas.

Free Trade Area of the Americas

    Q. Mr. President de la Rua, President Bush wanted the free trade 
agreement by the year 2003, but I think Brazil is not too keen on that 
idea. So now, we're talking about 2005, which was the original date at 
the Summit of the Americas in 1994. Is that a real possibility, or will 
that date also pass by?
    President de la Rua. The important thing is that agreement has been 
reached on that date in Buenos Aires. I celebrate the generosity and 
flexibility of Mr. Zoellick, who represented the President. An agreement 
was reached by all countries. In addition to the date, it is important 
for us to make

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progress in terms of the contents, in terms of the way to build a common 
market to benefit and integrate all countries.
    President Bush. Let me say something about that. First of all, I 
don't want to dispute, of course, the supposition of your question. But 
I was asked--I think you asked me at a press conference, would I be 
pleased to see the date moved up, and the answer is, of course; the 
sooner we get a free trade agreement for the Americas in place, the 
better off the continent will be.
    However, I recognize reality, and it looks like we're going to be 
aiming for the date 2005. But big progress has been made. And Ambassador 
Zoellick went down and met with other leaders in our hemisphere, and 
we've got the framework for an agreement. And not only that, after the 
Summit of the Americas, we'll be putting out the agreement, itself, or 
the framework of the agreement for people to review, so that citizens 
from all countries--this is the first time this has ever happened--where 
the citizens will be able to review the contents of the trade agreement.
    But I appreciate so very much the President's commitment to free 
trade. He understands the power of trade, and he understands the promise 
of free trade. And I believe you're going to hear a strong statement at 
Quebec City that nations of our hemisphere are bound together by the 
concept of a free trade agreement. And it will be good for our people.
    Thank you all for coming.

Note: The President spoke at 3:02 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Minister of Economy Domingo 
Cavallo of Argentina. President de la Rua spoke in Spanish, and his 
remarks were translated by an interpreter. A tape was not available for 
verification of the content of these remarks.