[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 23 (Monday, June 9, 2003)]
[Pages 709-710]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Prior to Discussions With President Jacques Chirac and an 
Exchange With Reporters in Evian-les-Bains, France

June 2, 2003

    President Bush. First of all, I want to thank Jacques for his warm 
hospitality. We've had a really good meeting. This morning we talked 
about our common desires to grow our economies. I thought it was a very 
interesting and fantastic meeting; I really did.
    Today I'm going to meet with Jacques here in a little bit and ask 
his advice on the Middle East. He's a man who knows a lot about the 
Middle East, he has got good judgment about the Middle East, and we will 
spend some time discussing that.
    I know there's a lot of--a lot of people in both our countries 
wondering whether or not we could actually sit down and have a 
comfortable conversation. And the answer is: Absolutely. We can have 
disagreements, but that doesn't mean we have to be disagreeable to each 
other. And so I'm very glad I came

[[Page 710]]

and would say absolutely that this has been a very helpful and a 
positive meeting. Thank you, sir, for your hospitality.

[At this point, President Chirac spoke in French, and no translation was 
provided.]

    President Bush. We've agreed to take one question apiece. Terry 
[Terry Moran, ABC News], do you want to ask a question?

President's Upcoming Visit to Egypt

    Q. Mr. President, can you tell us your expectations for the summit 
in Sharm el-Sheikh? And what are you hearing from the region?
    President Bush. Well, first let me talk about my expectations for 
the G-8. They have been met. I was hoping to come to Europe and to say 
that a united Europe working with America can do a lot of good; it can 
do a lot of good on issues such as fighting terror or working on matters 
such as proliferation. We can do a lot of good to help those who suffer 
in the world. And so the expectations--at least as far as I'm 
concerned--have been met here.
    My expectations in the Middle East are to call all the respective 
parties to their responsibility to achieve peace, and to make it very 
clear that my country and I will put in as much time as necessary to 
achieve the vision of two states living side by side in peace.
    I fully understand this is going to be a difficult process. I fully 
understand we need to work with our friends, such as France, to achieve 
the process. I know we won't make progress unless people assume their 
responsibilities. The first message is, I will dedicate the time and 
energy to move the process forward. And I think we'll make some 
progress. I know we're making progress.

[A question was asked and answered in French, and no translation was 
provided.]

France-U.S. Relations

    President Bush. Yes, and I want to thank President Chirac's support 
in the latest resolution in the United Nations. Listen, we must be 
frank, we went through a difficult period. I understand his position. He 
made it very clear to me in the very beginning. There was no question 
where Jacques Chirac stood, and I made it--I made it clear where I 
stood. And that's why I can say we've got good relations, because we're 
able to be very honest with each other.
    But when it came time to focus on a free Iraq, a healthy Iraq, a 
prosperous Iraq, we're in agreement, and we will move together to ensure 
that the Iraqi people have now got the capacity to run their own 
country. It's going to take them time to get there. It's a difficult 
situation in Iraq, but we are committed to a free Iraq, and together we 
can make that happen more quickly than if we were still at odds on the 
issue.
    Thank you, Jacques, appreciate it.

[A question was asked and answered in French, and no translation was 
provided.]

Note: The President spoke at 11:42 a.m. at the Hotel Royal. A tape was 
not available for verification of the content of these remarks.