[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 24 (Monday, June 14, 2004)]
[Pages 1036-1037]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Prior to Discussions With Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of 
Japan and an Exchange With Reporters at Sea Island, Georgia

June 8, 2004

    President Bush. It's my honor to welcome my friend and a strong 
leader, the Prime Minister of Japan, to Sea Island, Georgia. I've really 
been looking forward to this lunch because every time I meet with the 
Prime Minister, we have a constructive and important dialog.
    The first thing, of course, I will do is congratulate him on the 
fact that the Japanese economy is improving under his leadership. We 
will talk about security issues. We'll talk about our mutual desire to 
fight terror. We will talk about North Korea. We will talk about Iraq, 
and in doing so, I know I'm talking with a leader I can trust and a 
leader who has got good, sound judgment.
    Mr. Prime Minister.
    Prime Minister Koizumi. First of all, I would like to express my 
condolences to the pass away of President Reagan. I would like to pay 
respect to his achievement, especially in numerous achievements, 
especially in strengthening our Japan-U.S. bilateral relationship.
    Today, I was very much looking forward to meeting with President 
Bush in order to discuss Iraq, North Korea, and those issues from a 
viewpoint of Japan-U.S. alliance in the global context. As the 
international community has to cooperate in order to reconstruct Iraq, I 
would like to pay respect to his strong leadership of President Bush in 
meeting this international coordination.
    And also on the North Korea issue, President Bush has strongly 
supported the Japanese policy, and we would like to--Japan and the U.S. 
would like to coordinate together, consult together in the issue of 
North Korea in order to come up with a peace in Korean Peninsula.
    And in this difficult--even in the difficult and hard conditions, 
President Bush has shown his strong determination and commitment, and he 
is a man of determination. So with President Bush we would like to 
maintain our Japan-U.S. cooperation in order to come up with peace and 
stability in the world.
    President Bush. Thank you. A couple of questions. Tom [Tom Raum, 
Associated Press].

Proposed U.N. Security Council Resolution/Troop Levels in Iraq

    Q. Mr. President, originally you had hoped that a U.N. resolution on 
Iraq would lead to more troops. Now you're on the verge of getting that 
U.N. resolution, and yet, we haven't heard much about more troops. In 
fact, France, Germany, Russia, and Canada have said they won't send 
troops under any circumstance. Have you pretty much given up on getting 
these allies to send troops, or is there still hope that you can 
persuade them?
    President Bush. First, I'm delighted that we're about to get a 
Security Council resolution. There were some who said we'd never get 
one, and it looks like if things go well, it will be a unanimous vote--
thereby saying to the world that members of the Security Council are 
interested in working together to make sure that Iraq is free and 
peaceful and democratic. I think this is a very important moment on 
the--on making sure that our objective is achieved.
    These nations understand that a free Iraq will serve as a catalyst 
for change in the broader Middle East, which is an important part of 
winning the war on terror. I expect nations to contribute as they see 
fit. But of course, the key to long-term security in Iraq is for all of 
us to work together to train Iraqi troops to handle their own security 
measures.

[[Page 1037]]

And that's precisely what we are doing on the ground, and we will work 
with other nations to do as well.

President Ronald Reagan

    Q. Mr. President, there are a lot of remembrances about Ronald 
Reagan this week. What lessons have you learned from the Presidency of 
Ronald Reagan? And have you modeled your political style after him at 
all?
    President Bush. Ronald Reagan will go down in history as a great 
American President because he had a core set of principles from which he 
would not deviate. He understood that a leader is a person who sets 
clear goals and makes decisions based upon principles that are etched in 
his soul, and our Nation will miss him. I had the honor of speaking to 
Mrs. Reagan from Paris, France, and expressed Laura and my condolences 
to her and her family, and the Nation will be doing so as well on 
Friday.
    Thank you. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 12:31 p.m. at Dunbar House. Prime Minister 
Koizumi spoke in Japanese, and his remarks were translated by an 
interpreter. A tape was not available for verification of the content of 
these remarks.