[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 2 (Monday, January 14, 2002)]
[Pages 48-49]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Prior to Discussions With Prime Minister Constandinos Simitis of 
Greece

January 10, 2002

    President Bush. Well, thank you, Mr. Prime Minister. Listen, we're 
so honored you're here. Thank you so much for coming to America. There 
is a huge number of Greek-Americans who live in our country who have 
still got great fondness for their--for your country.
    I am most appreciative, sir, of your strong stand against terror. 
You have been a friend in our mutual concerns about routing out terror 
around the world, and I want to thank you for that very much.

[[Page 49]]

    I'm also very appreciative of your administration's working with 
Turkey. Relations have improved with Turkey, and as a result, the world 
is better off. And I want to thank you for your vision, for your foreign 
ministry's hard work to do what is right for the world, to make the 
world more peaceful.
    We've got a lot in common with your country; we've got a lot of 
interests in common. I look forward to discussing those with you. I also 
look forward to the Olympics. Thank you for your invitation. It's going 
to be a magnificent moment for the sporting world to have the Olympics 
return to Athens. I'm confident your country will do a fine job.
    So welcome to the White House; we're so glad you're here.
    Prime Minister Simitis. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I'm so 
very glad to be here and have the possibility to discuss with you the 
problems--the subjects are interesting for us.
    We are totally committed to the fight against international 
terrorism. And as you know, we take part in the Afghanistan effort. We 
will be part also in the international peace corps in Afghanistan. And I 
think it's necessary to cooperate in order to fight terrorism all over 
the world, because there are also, for example, in the Balkans, group 
terrorists, groups in all the Balkan countries, and we think that this 
must be controlled.
    Thank you also for your appreciation for our effort concerning the 
Greek-Turkish relations. We make--we want more peace and stability in 
the region, and this is our main principle, how--apply international 
laws that we have a southeastern Europe that is really peaceful.
    As you know, I showed you the coins of the new euro.
    President Bush. Yes.
    Prime Minister Simitis. This means--this means a big banking change 
for Europe, because the whole environment will change. There will be a 
new feeling about the possibilities of Europe, and there will be new 
discussions on the new European structures, on the necessity of new 
cooperation, and also of the necessity, I hope, of a closer cooperation 
with the United States in order to solve the common problems.
    So this is a new era, and I'm very glad to be here to greet the new 
year.
    President Bush. Well, thank you, sir. Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister. 
Welcome.
    Thank you, all.
    Q. You don't want to take a question?
    President Bush. I took them all this morning; you just were in the 
wrong pool.

Note: The President spoke at 3:17 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. A tape was not available for verification of the content of these 
remarks.