[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 6 (Monday, February 14, 2005)]
[Pages 198-200]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following Discussions With President Aleksander Kwasniewski of 
Poland and an Exchange With Reporters

February 9, 2005

    President Bush. The President and I will have opening statements. 
I'll answer a question from the American press; he'll answer a 
question--or somebody will answer a question from the Polish press. And 
we'll do this twice.
    Thank you all for coming. Welcome back to the Oval Office. It is my 
great pleasure to welcome my friend back here to discuss important 
international policy and policy related to our bilateral relationship. 
We've discussed and will continue to discuss very important issues. 
We'll talk about, of course, Iraq and our mutual desire to train Iraqis 
so that they can defend their own freedom. We'll talk about my trip to 
Europe. I'm looking forward to advice from my friend.
    We'll continue to discuss the Ukraine, and let me just step back and 
say that I'm impressed by the leadership of President Kwasniewski when 
it came to the Ukraine. He showed remarkable leadership. And the people 
of Ukraine are better for it, and the world appreciates that, and I 
appreciate it.
    We'll spend time continuing to talk about the importance of our 
bilateral relationship, whether it be trade and commerce or whether it 
be the ability of Polish folks to travel to the United States of 
America. The visa policy of the country has been under review for a 
while, and now we've got a way forward to make trips to America easier 
for Polish citizens.
    I want to thank you for your leadership on that issue, Mr. Prime 
Minister. I mean, Mr. President. Excuse me. I demoted him. [Laughter] 
Well, it's not a demotion.
    President Kwasniewski. No.
    President Bush. It's a lateral transfer. [Laughter] Anyway, I am 
thrilled you're here and look forward to seeing you not only over lunch 
but in Brussels on my trip. Welcome.
    President Kwasniewski. Thank you. So I should speak Polish in the 
beginning.
    Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, first of all, I would like to 
express my joy that this is my fourth visit already to the White House, 
visiting President George W. Bush.
    I want to tell you that we talked about Polish-American cooperation, 
which has now a strategic, lasting character. And in the recent years, 
we have had many successful events in cooperation with the United 
States.
    During our meeting today, we talked about Iraq. Poland participates 
in the stabilization mission in Iraq, and we are full of optimism 
thinking about that country and about the successful completion of our 
mission.

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    We have been talking about the transatlantic relationships, and we 
are very happy that America is getting closer and is having better and 
better relations with our European neighbors and also with Poland. We 
talked about bilateral cooperation, and both President Bush and myself 
talked about the adoption of the roadmap that is going to solve the visa 
problem. And it implies concrete decisions that are going to be made in 
relation to the visa regime, doing away with some old information--old 
data, statistics concerning the immigration violation from before 1989, 
easing the procedures, review of different--[inaudible]--that are 
connected to the visa system, and further cooperation with the Congress 
in order to facilitate the process as much as possible.
    We hope that the roadmap that has been accepted will be a very good 
solution. Poland will have to observe many rules, and it will bring 
about a final doing away with this problem that has been present in our 
talks for many years now.
    I would like also to say that as far as the thank-you words 
concerning Ukraine are concerned, everything wouldn't be possible 
without the participation of the United States. And without the United 
States' role, it wouldn't be possible to finish the crisis situation in 
Ukraine and strengthen democracy in that country. It is the success of 
Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, but it is also the success of all of 
us.
    President Bush. Very good, thank you. Deb [Deb Riechmann, Associated 
Press].

Iran

    Q. Mr. President, Secretary Rice said today in Brussels that the 
United States would not tolerate foot-dragging by Tehran on accounting 
for their nuclear programs. Is time running out for Iran to come to 
terms with the European negotiators?
    President Bush. The Iranians just need to know that the free world 
is working together to send a very clear message: Don't develop a 
nuclear weapon. And the reason we're sending that message is because 
Iran with a nuclear weapon would be a very destabilizing force in the 
world.
    And I look forward to going over to Europe to continue discussing 
this issue with our allies. It's important we speak with one voice. I'm 
very pleased with the response that European leaders have given to Dr. 
Rice on this issue. She has made--her trip, by the way, has been a 
fantastic trip. I want to thank Aleksander, the President, for being so 
gracious to her on the first leg of her trip and--or one of the first 
legs on her trip. But the message is, is that we're going to speak with 
one voice, and we'll continue to do so.
    Yes, Polish----
    President Kwasniewski. Yes, please, Polish press.

Visa Policy

    Q. I have a question to President Bush. Are you going to--concerning 
the visa problem, are you going to support the legislation being 
introduced in the Congress? I talked to some Congressmen; they say they 
keep receiving mixed signals from the White House concerning the issue.
    President Bush. Well, we've got a way forward to answer the 
questions of a lot of the Members of the United States Congress to get 
this issue solved. And the President has been very hard at work in 
helping develop a roadmap that is fair to the Polish people. And I adopt 
the principles and accept the recommendations of the roadmap, and that 
will become the basis for legislation.
    Adam [Adam Entous, Reuters].

Medicare Drug Benefit

    Q. Mr. President, Mark McClellan is now acknowledging the new 
Medicare drug benefit will cost $720 billion, far more than the White 
House initially said. Will you consider steps to lower the cost? Might 
Medicare be a bigger problem now than Social Security?
    President Bush. Well, there's no question that there is a unfunded 
liability inherent in Medicare that we're--Congress and the 
administration is going to have to deal with over time. Obviously, I've 
chosen to deal with Social Security first. And once we accomplish--once 
we modernize and save Social Security for a young generation of 
Americans, then it will be time to deal with the unfunded liabilities in 
Medicare. The same issue that deals with--creates a problem with Social 
Security creates a problem for Medicare. In other words, baby boomers 
are retiring with

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fewer payers going into the system. And I look forward to working with 
them.
    Listen, the reforms haven't even begun yet. I signed a piece of 
legislation last year, and the major reforms of providing prescription 
drugs for our seniors kicks in next year. And I look forward to watching 
those reforms take effect. I'm convinced they'll have cost savings for 
our society, and I know it will make the life of our seniors better.
    And so we look forward to working with Congress to make sure that 
the Medicare reforms that are in place are fully enacted, and the people 
can realize the benefits of them.

U.S. Aid to Poland's Armed Forces

    President Kwasniewski. [Inaudible]
    Q. I've got a question to President Bush.
    President Bush. Yes, well, that's generally the way it works.
    Q. Sir, will the United States increase its assistance in 
modernization of Polish armed forces?
    President Bush. We--Aleksander and I, the President and I, talked 
about that. He has been very insistent that--about our mil-to-mil 
relations. He's been very forthright and very clear, and I appreciate 
his leadership on this issue. I am--intend--I say ``intend'' because our 
system is one where I make requests; Congress has to appropriate the 
money. But we will make requests that will enable there to be a mil-to-
mil expenditure to help Poland modernize and fulfill its mission of 
about $100 million this year.
    Now, again, I repeat, I don't get to write the checks in the 
American system. The Government--the Congress does that. But I get to 
put out requests. And I assured the President that would be--when it's 
all said and done, that would be the request that we would put forward. 
I'm confident the Congress will respond.
    Listen, Poland has been a fantastic ally, because the President and 
the people of Poland love freedom. And I know the people of your country 
must have been thrilled when the millions of people went to the polls 
and showed that people from all parts of the world want to live in a 
free society, just like your great nation has shown the world over the 
last decade.
    So, Mr. President, welcome. Thanks for coming. I value our 
friendship.
    President Kwasniewski. Thank you, Mr. President.
    President Bush. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 11:50 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. President Kwasniewski spoke partly in Polish, and those portions 
of his remarks were translated by an interpreter.