[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 30 (Monday, July 30, 2001)]
[Pages 1079-1081]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
 Remarks Prior to Discussions With Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of 
Germany and an Exchange With Reporters in Genoa

 July 21, 2001

     President Bush. It's my honor to be meeting today with one of 
America's strongest friends and Allies and one of Europe's strongest and 
best leaders. I appreciate Gerhard Schroeder's openness, his grasp of

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issues that are important, not only to Europe but to the world. I told 
the press earlier that we've had a very, very positive dialog. We 
discussed a lot of important issues: how to expand global trade as well 
as how to assume our responsibilities as wealthier nations to the poor 
nations in a constructive way. It's been a very good experience, and 
it's also been a positive experience to be able to again sit down with 
friends and continue our dialog from days gone by.
     So Mr. Chancellor, thank you for being here.
     Chancellor Schroeder. Thanks.
     President Bush. I'll be glad to answer a couple of questions.

 Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change

     Q.  Mr. President and Mr. Chancellor, can you both address whether 
you've reached any kind of accommodation on global warming and the Kyoto 
treaty?
     President Bush. We have reached an accommodation, and here it is.
     Q.  Can you talk about it?
     President Bush. Yes, I'd be glad to. We both agree to reduce 
greenhouse gases, and we both agree to continue dialog.
     Q.  On how--the dialog on how it goes on?
     President Bush. Right. And I will explain to the Chancellor that 
our Nation will come with a strategy. We're in the process of developing 
one. But I can't be any more sincere than I have been in saying that we 
need to reduce greenhouse gases, and we'll work a plan to do so.
     But I've also been very open with the Chancellor from my very first 
visit in the Oval Office, that the methodology in the Kyoto accord is 
something that would harm our Nation's economy. And therefore, we're 
looking for different alternatives to achieve the same goal.
     And I will tell you this, in Sweden, Chancellor Schroeder was very, 
very strong in his statement about Kyoto and very positive about his 
position there; on the other hand--was explained to the other leaders 
that my position, while he didn't agree with it, was one that he 
understood. And I appreciated very much his leadership there.
     Chancellor Schroeder. Certainly, the President is very right in 
just saying that we do share the same targets here. Both of us are 
thinking that it is very important that we do substantially reduce 
greenhouse gas emissions. That is very important, indeed. And we will, 
obviously, have to get into a very intensive dialog about these things. 
This will have to happen; some things will have to happen as a 
consequence of it.
     Now, obviously, on the tool of Kyoto, as such, we do differ when it 
comes to the assessment thereof. But obviously, we have done so in a 
very open, in a very friendly matter, dealing with one another in a 
constructive way as friends. And I think friends do deal with these 
things as friends, and we certainly do.

 Upcoming Meeting With President Vladimir Putin of Russia

     Q.  Do you plan to make a specific proposal to President Putin 
tomorrow on a strategic framework? Did you see an outline or something?
     President Bush. I plan to have a very honest and open dialog with 
the President that will continue our discussions about how to keep the 
peace. I intend to share with the German Chancellor the nature of our 
discussion in the past and, again, what I intend to talk about tomorrow.
     I think it's very important for us to continue making progress on 
whether or not we can agree to a new strategic framework. As well, we 
will have high-level talks with others in my administration, with the 
Russians. It's a very positive development, I think, for the world.
     I can tell you right now that my relationship with President Putin 
is better than it was in Slovenia by virtue of the fact that we're 
spending more informal time together. One of the benefits of these 
meetings is that we get to see each other at places other than just 
sitting around roundtables discussing issues. And so, at the receptions, 
we've been able to have some idle chatter. Some of it may be of interest 
to you; some of it probably wouldn't be. But nevertheless, we're able to 
continue a dialog in a very friendly and open way, and I think that's 
going to be very important for our ability to work together on a lot of 
issues, particularly that of a new strategic framework.

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     Q.  But do you see discussing things like specific numbers or his 
plan for joint----
     President Bush. I think it's probably best that I talk to him 
first. [Laughter]

  Note:  The President spoke at 6 p.m. at the Jolly Marina Hotel. 
Chancellor Schroeder spoke in German, and his remarks were translated by 
an interpreter. A tape was not available for verification of the content 
of these remarks.