[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 18 (Monday, May 9, 2005)]
[Pages 740-742]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Interview With Lithuanian National Television

May 4, 2005

Lithuanian Support for Freedom in Ukraine

    Q. Mr. President, you thanked President Valdas Adamkus for his 
efforts spreading the freedom in neighboring countries. What else could 
Lithuania do spreading the freedom in this region?
    The President. Well, first, I did thank the President for his good 
work in the Ukraine. I thought it was a really great moment when the 
head of Lithuania got involved and encouraged the whole world to take 
notice of the freedom movement in the Ukraine. And by the way, that's 
a--the second election was a really important moment in the liberty 
movement. And I thanked him for that, genuinely so. And I want to say it 
again: I thank him for that.

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    Lithuania serves as a great example of what is possible. After years 
of being subjugated to harsh rule, the Lithuanians are now free, and 
they're showing they can grow the economy and that people have a chance 
to express themselves and there's a vibrant society when you're free. 
And it has been hard; the transition from communism to a free democracy 
is a hard transition. And it's very important for the Lithuanians and 
the Government to share that experience with others who will be going 
through the same thing. And so I am very proud of Lithuania, and I'm 
proud to call her friend.

Democracy in Belarus

    Q. Mr. President, you showed a strong support for democracy cause in 
Belarus. And what is your administration planning to do, given the fact 
that Belarus Presidential election is planned next year?
    The President. Well, first of all, we'll work with you, countries in 
the neighborhood, countries around--the free countries of the world, to 
insist there be free elections and make sure there's free elections. 
This is the last remaining dictatorship in Europe. And Condi Rice was in 
the neighborhood recently, as you know, Secretary of State Rice, and she 
brought up the subject. She met with people who are embracing the 
freedom movement in Belarus. I did as well when I was in Slovakia.
    And so one of the roles that the United States can play is to speak 
clearly about the need for Belarus to be free and to work with people to 
insist that Belarus be free and, when the elections come, make sure the 
elections are free and have monitors and international observers. As you 
know, that made a big difference in the Ukraine, for example. No, it's--
and I think--listen, I believe everybody wants to be free, and I believe 
if the world works together to achieve that, many people will be free.

Lithuania's Role in Afghanistan

    Q. Lithuania is taking a concrete role in the reconstructing of 
Afghanistan.
    The President. Yes.
    Q. What kind of specific support do you ask--offer Lithuania?
    The President. Well, as you know, we've got for our partners in Iraq 
and--we've got some solidarity funds. We want to work through the 
foreign aid money to help Lithuania in her efforts to help build a 
better world. Again, I applaud the President. I thank the people of 
Lithuania for the support in Afghanistan.
    It's important that Afghanistan be free and peaceful; it will serve 
as an example for others. Again, I keep saying this to people, but 
you've just got to--the people of Lithuania have got to know how I feel. 
I believe everybody desires to be free, and I believe everybody deserves 
to be free. And societies will grow up around different customs and 
habits. I don't expect people to look like American form of government, 
but I do believe the world ought to work together to enable people to 
live free lives and then help countries, once they've become liberated 
from a tyrant, in the case of Afghanistan.
    And that's what Lithuania is doing. And I'm confident the President 
is doing so because--for the same reason I am, because he understands 
that free societies, in the long run, will make the world peaceful. And 
that's what we want for our children and our grandchildren; we want 
there to be peace.

President's Upcoming Meeting With Russian President Putin

    Q. You're going to meet Mr. Putin. Will you repeat your words to him 
that the Second World War has brought the Soviet occupation to the 
Baltic States?
    The President. Yes, of course I'll remind him of that. I told him in 
Slovakia that I felt it was important for him to understand that my 
friends the leaders of the Baltics are upset. In other words, they don't 
view the end of World War II as a great moment of celebration, and 
there's a reason why. He took it in. Your President has decided not to 
go to Moscow. I respect him for that decision. Each leader in the 
Baltics has to make the decision they're comfortable with. And it was a 
very difficult period, and so this is a hard decision. And I respect the 
decisions of the three leaders.
    But I did make it clear to President Putin that there is great 
angst--people don't view this as a liberating moment--and hopefully

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that he will work with the Baltics in a cooperative way, because it 
really is in Russia's interest to have free countries and democracies on 
her border. The more democracies on the border of a country, the more 
peaceful the country will be.
    And so this is a bittersweet moment for a lot of people in America 
who are from the Baltics--a lot of Lithuanian Americans here, by the 
way--who, on the one hand, are really happy the United States defeated 
nazism, on the other hand, saw their homeland taken over by a repressive 
communist regime.

President's Previous Visit to Lithuania

    Q. Mr. President, thank you. It was a pleasure.
    The President. Great. And listen, I want to say one other thing: I 
want to thank the people of Lithuania for the warm reception Laura and I 
received the last time we were there. It was one of the great visits of 
my Presidency. I remember sitting in the town--standing in the town 
square, and it was very interesting, seeing a lot of older Lithuanians 
with tears in their eyes. I guess they never thought they'd see the day 
where the American President came. It touched my heart a lot. And then I 
saw a lot of young Lithuanians wondering what the heck the American 
President was all about--you know, they kind of--so it was a very 
touching visit.
    Thank you.

Note: The interview was taped at 2:14 p.m. in the Map Room at the White 
House for later broadcast and was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on May 5. In his remarks, the President referred to President 
Valdas Adamkus of Lithuania; and President Vladimir Putin of Russia.