[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 26 (Monday, June 28, 2004)]
[Pages 1130-1132]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following Discussions With Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy of 
Hungary and an Exchange With Reporters

June 22, 2004

    President Bush. Before I welcome the Prime Minister to the Oval 
Office, I will have a statement; he will have a statement; we'll answer 
two questions per side.
    Q. Mr. President----
    President Bush. Hold on a second, please. I'll have a statement; he 
will have a statement; and then we'll have two questions per side. I'll 
call upon an American reporter, and he'll call upon a Hungarian 
reporter.
    Mr. Prime Minister, welcome.
    We have just had another meaningful discussion about a lot of 
issues, starting with our bilateral relations. Relations between Hungary 
and the United States are strong, and I want to thank the Prime Minister 
for that and for your friendship.
    I told the Prime Minister I appreciate a man who sticks by his word. 
When the Prime Minister gives you his word, he means it. He is a strong 
leader for Hungary. He is a strong ally for the United States. More 
importantly, he is a strong visionary for free and peaceful societies.
    I appreciate very much, Mr. Prime Minister, the sacrifices of the 
Hungarian people when it comes to making the world more secure and 
peaceful. Your great country lost a brave soldier. I extend the deepest 
condolences to the family of that soldier from the United States of 
America. I appreciate his sacrifice, and I want his folks to know that 
we will complete our task and the world will be more peaceful and more 
free because Iraq will be free and peaceful. I want to thank you very 
much for understanding the hopes and aspirations of the Iraqi people.
    I also appreciate our discussion about NATO. We're Allies in an 
important Alliance, and our jobs are to make sure that NATO fulfills its 
mission, which is a hopeful mission, to bring stability and peace 
throughout the world.
    I want to thank you for your briefing of the recent EU meetings. As 
you know, I'm going to Ireland to visit with the leadership of the EU, 
and I want to thank you for giving me a good, strong briefing on the EU.
    And finally, we had a really interesting discussion about the 
Hungarian economy. The Prime Minister has got a very good vision about 
making sure that the Hungarian workforce is educated for the jobs of the 
21st century. We talked about how we can work together on high-tech 
transfers and educational transfers. I told the Prime Minister that the 
decisions he's making for his economy are very important in attracting 
U.S. capital, that Hungary is a place that is a stable country based 
upon rule of law and transparency and that we look forward to working 
together to make sure our trade is vibrant as well as travel between our 
countries is expedited.
    We have talked about a visa policy that, admittedly, has created a 
problem in Hungary. The Prime Minister came and told me directly he 
expects me and my administration to do everything we can to expedite 
travel between Hungary and the United States--I appreciated your very 
strong statement on behalf of the Hungarian people--and I assured him 
that we will work as best we can to make sure the visa system works like 
we want it to work, because in America we welcome people from all parts 
of the world. We welcome your business leaders. We welcome your 
students. We welcome your artists. It's in our Nation's interest that we 
have a full interchange and exchange with the Hungarian people.
    So I want to thank you for coming, Mr. Prime Minister. You're a 
good, strong leader and a good friend, and welcome.
    Prime Minister Medgyessy. Thank you very much, Mr. President, for 
the opportunity that just within 2 years, this is the second opportunity 
to meet. American-Hungarian relations can enter a new stage now. The 
past 2 years could prove that we are reliable and predictable partners, 
and we can step beyond that now.
    And as it's been mentioned by the President right now, we can make 
real progress

[[Page 1131]]

in terms of technology cooperation, technology transfer, research and 
development, education. And the good development of economic relations 
is extremely important for Hungary.
    Thank you very much, Mr. President, for bringing up the visa issue. 
I especially requested the President to look into this matter, how this 
can be expedited. American-Hungarian relations are entering a new 
dimension now, because we have become members of the European Union, 
which means--which represents a new equality.
    I was truly delighted to see that in the European Council meeting, 
transatlantic relations were very important. And there is a true 
intention on the part of Europe to find the fastest possible solution 
for the Iraq issue, and I could feel in that issue that everybody is 
looking forward now.
    Mr. President referred to the death of the Hungarian soldier which 
is, of course, very painful to all of us. Nevertheless, I could confirm 
to the President that Hungary's commitment to the presence in Iraq is 
unchanged, and we want to promote stabilization. Our troops will not be 
removed before their term, and we are more than happy to participate in 
processes that can promote the transfer of stabilization, 
democratization--[inaudible].
    I thank you very much, Mr. President, once again for the 
opportunity, because this can give another impetus, a new impetus to 
American-Hungarian relations.
    President Bush. Thank you, sir. Thank you.
    Scott [Scott Lindlaw, Associated Press].

Treatment of Prisoners

    Q. Thanks, Mr. President. Secretary Rumsfeld expressed some concern 
last week that a perception might be taking hold that your 
administration had condoned or authorized torture of prisoners. 
Specifically, he worried that might give other countries an excuse to 
torture American civilians, American soldiers. I'm wondering if that's 
what prompted you to release these memos, these documents, and your 
deliberations? And also do you think we need an independent commission 
to look into this whole thing?
    President Bush. Let me make very clear the position of my Government 
and our country. We do not condone torture. I have never ordered 
torture. I will never order torture. The values of this country are such 
that torture is not a part of our soul and our being.
    The Prime Minister brought up the Abu Ghraib situation. I assured 
him that these soldiers do not represent what Americans think. And I 
also assured him that unlike a society run by a tyrant, the world will 
see a open, fair trial for those accused of breaking U.S. military law.

Hungary's Role in Iraq

    Q. Mr. President, Prime Minister, what is the value of the 
contribution of the small countries to the--[inaudible]? Why is it 
important that they be there in the coalition?
    President Bush. In Iraq? The--what's important for the Iraqis to 
know is that the world stands with them as a free society emerges. 
Hungary is a society which is a free society. It's a society which has 
rejected totalitarianism and has now welcomed democracy and rule of law 
and human rights and human dignity. And it's very important for the 
Iraqi people to be able to share those values with people beyond just 
the United States. I mean, Hungary is such a great example of what is 
possible in a free society. And plus, it helps to have troops fulfill 
certain missions as we help rebuild Iraq. It's more than just a symbol. 
These troops are providing a very important role as Iraq emerges from a 
society run and brutalized by a tyrant to a society in which people are 
able to realize their hopes and aspirations.
    And it's happening. I told the Prime Minister I was very pleased 
with Prime Minister Alawi's strength and his vision and his strong 
statements, particularly in the face of these brutal terrorist attacks. 
He's not going to be intimidated by these killers, you see. He 
understands what a free society will mean. We're not going to be 
intimidated by the killers, either. Freedom is too precious and too 
valuable. And free societies will end up making the world a more 
peaceful place, which is my hope, and it's the Prime Minister's hope as 
well.
    Steve [Steve Holland, Reuters].

[[Page 1132]]

South Korea's Role in Iraq

    Q. Mr. President, in the wake of the beheading of the South Korean 
national, what are you doing to ensure South Korea sticks to its plan to 
send 3,000 troops to Iraq?
    President Bush. I haven't had a chance to speak to President Roh 
yet, but I would hope that President Roh would understand that the free 
world cannot be intimidated by the brutal action of these barbaric 
people.
    See, what they're trying to do is they're trying to shake our will 
and our confidence. They're trying to get us to withdraw from the world 
so that they can impose their dark vision on people, and remember what 
their dark vision is like. Remember what it was like for a young girl to 
grow up with the Taliban in Afghanistan. This was a society where young 
girls weren't even allowed to go to school. It's a society where people 
were humiliated in public. This is a society where people couldn't 
worship freely. This was a dark and dismal society. And that's their 
vision of the world. In order to impose their vision, they want us to 
leave. They want us to cower in the face of their brutal killings.
    And the United States will not be intimidated by these people 
because we believe strongly in freedom and liberty and human rights and 
human dignity, freedom to worship as you see fit, freedom to speak your 
mind. And I believe President Roh understands that.
    Prime Minister Medgyessy. And we share the same values with the 
United States.

Hungarian Troops in Iraq/U.N. Security Council Resolution on Iraq

    Q. Mr. Prime Minister, has it been brought up that perhaps the 
mandate of Hungarian troops would be prolonged after the 31st of 
December? Did you touch upon that issue?
    Prime Minister Medgyessy. We were talking about how delighted we 
were about the Security Council resolution both in Europe and everywhere 
else, that we welcome the intention that gradually the conditions are 
created for the Iraqi people to take over control over the government. 
And in the fairness of that process, we shall decide whatever should 
happen with Hungarian soldiers there.
    President Bush. Thank you, sir.

Note: The President spoke at 1:54 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to former President Saddam Hussein of 
Iraq; Prime Minister Ayad al-Alawi of the Iraqi interim government; and 
President Roh Moo-hyun of South Korea. Prime Minister Medgyessy spoke in 
Hungarian, and his remarks were translated by an interpreter.