[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 19 (Monday, May 16, 2005)]
[Pages 782-786]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's News Conference With President Mikheil Saakashvili of 
Georgia in Tbilisi, Georgia

May 10, 2005

    President Saakashvili. I'll say a few words in English. I want to 
welcome you, Mr. President, for this historic occasion. You know, right 
now we have in the streets of Tbilisi, as they are telling me, more than 
150,000 people assembled, and I can tell you, no event in the history of 
this country has ever assembled anything close to these numbers. It 
shows the importance of this visit.

[[Page 783]]

    I can tell you, and you were seeing yesterday, crowds--
unfortunately, I didn't see them on the networks--I mean, there were CNN 
and the others--but they were there and we could see them, the crowds 
along the airport. And of course, it was very genuine. This is not North 
Korea here. You cannot tell people to go out unless--if they don't feel 
like it. [Laughter] And it was a very--I mean, for me, it was something 
very emotional. The posters they made were very emotional.
    You know, outside this building, 18 months ago, also 100,000 
Georgians came in defense of democracy with a dream of living free. And 
in the weeks and months after the Rose Revolution, no country stood 
closer to Georgia than the United States, whether it was diplomatic 
support, economic aid, security assistance, or--[inaudible]--the United 
States was there. For this support, the Georgian people will be 
eternally grateful.
    So I once again want to welcome Mr. President to Georgia. The 
partnership between the U.S. and Georgia is about more, and we should 
make it very clear, the strategic interests--more than oil pipelines, 
more than any kind of economic or military cooperation. It's about 
shared values and our shared belief in freedom and in democracy.
    And President Bush is a man of vision who believes in the triumph of 
liberty over forces of tyranny. I know he was also inspired by our 
journey toward democracy. President Bush is in Georgia because we agree 
that free people cannot rest while tyranny exists. We know that our 
liberty must be defended from those who seek to extinguish it. And of 
course, when we are together, that's much more hopeful and much more 
efficient.
    That's why over 800 troops are in Iraq, Georgian troops side by side 
with the Americans and Iraqis and many others, to defeat those who live 
only to kill, to enslave, to frighten people. That is why Georgians are 
in Afghanistan and NATO-led missions, and that is why we appreciate the 
U.S. support for our NATO aspirations, just like the U.S. supported 
Ukraine on its NATO aspirations.
    The United States supports the territorial integrity of Georgia, 
sovereignty of Georgia, within its internationally recognized borders. 
We appreciate this support and recognize our responsibilities. We will 
peacefully resolve our disputes with our long-suffering South Ossetian 
and Abkhaz citizens and the territories. We will widen and deepen our 
democratic reforms to better the lives of Georgians. And we seek 
friendly relations with all our neighbors. And we know we can count on 
the support of the United States in all these vital tasks.

    Mr. President, you are a decisive and visionary leader. Georgia is 
humbled and honored that you have come to visit our small country but 
great land. We Georgians have a belief that guests are a gift from God, 
and you are a most treasured guest. Mr. President, welcome.

    President Bush. Thank you, Mr. President. I'm--first, I'm so 
grateful for your hospitality. Laura and I really enjoyed our time last 
night. I learned firsthand what it means to be fed by a Georgian. I'm 
really full. [Laughter] And the food was great. I should have eaten my 
meal first and then danced. [Laughter]

    The cultural dancing and singing was spectacular. It was really 
impressive. And I want to thank those who put on the performance last 
night.

    I also appreciate our visit today. We had a very frank discussion. 
That's what I like about the President. He speaks his mind. If he's got 
something on his mind, he'll tell you. What I find on his mind is very 
refreshing; he loves democracy and loves freedom, and he loves the 
people of Georgia.

    The Rose Revolution was a powerful moment in modern history. It not 
only inspired the people of Georgia; it inspired others around the world 
that want to live in a free society. I think people will look back at 
this moment in history and be--and marvel at the courage of people who 
have said, ``I want generations to grow up in a hopeful world.''

    And so, Mr. President, thank you for setting such a good example, 
you and your people. I appreciate the reforms you have put in place 
here. Georgia has come a long way very quickly. The President recognizes 
there's a lot of work to be done to leave the foundations, institutional 
foundations in

[[Page 784]]

place so that no one will ever be able to overturn democracy--that's an 
independent judiciary, rule of law, a free media. He was complaining 
about the media, which is a good sign. [Laughter] It means you're free. 
I sometimes complain about ours but not too publicly, of course.
    I'm looking forward to the meeting with members of the civil 
society. The President kindly set up a meeting where I will remind 
people that a truly democratic society is one that honors and respects 
minorities. This is a very diverse country. You've had a great tradition 
of honoring minorities in this country, and your democracy will continue 
to do so.
    We talked about NATO. The President is very clear about his 
intentions to meet the obligations to join NATO. And Mr. President, we 
look forward to working with you to meet those obligations. NATO is a 
very important alliance for the United States of America. It's a place 
where we have our strategic conversations with our transatlantic 
friends, and we want to help you achieve your objective there.
    I thank the President again; I want to thank the people of Georgia 
for contributing troops to Iraq and Afghanistan. You've got a fine group 
of people that are helping serve the cause of freedom. We discussed the 
way forward in Iraq, discussed the importance of a democracy in the 
greater Middle East in order to leave behind a peaceful tomorrow.
    We talked about the peaceful resolution of regional issues. And I 
look forward to working with the President on his request, if he so 
chooses, to help deal with some of these issues, like stuff he says 
here--[inaudible]. But one of the things that I was most appreciative of 
is his full understanding of the need and the desire to settle these 
issues peacefully. And I'm confident, with good work and cooperation, we 
can solve them peacefully, or he can solve them peacefully, with our 
help.
    This has been a visit I've really been looking forward to. I look 
forward to going into Freedom Square--think about that, Freedom Square--
to represent my country and to give our thanks to the Georgian people 
for the example they've set and the pledge to the Georgian people that 
you've got a solid friend in America.
    Thank you, Mr. President.
    President Saakashvili. Thank you, Mr. President. So we'll have, 
like, two questions each. First, I guess, Georgian journalists, and then 
whoever.
    Q. Shall I ask the question in Georgian?
    President Bush. You can ask anybody you want. You can ask me----

Military Bases in Georgia

    Q. I have a question regarding--to Mr. President, President Bush. 
Did you have a conversation with Putin regarding the military bases, 
with old military bases from Georgia? Do you think this question and 
this issue--this question will be the decision of the OSCE Summit?
    President Bush. This question was about the presence of military 
troops--Russian troops in Georgia. We discussed this at the meeting with 
President Putin at his house. He knew that I was coming to Georgia, of 
course. I said I was looking forward to talking to my friend President 
Saakashvili and was confident that the issue of military bases would 
come up. After all, we discussed this--[inaudible]--and I've discussed 
this issue with the Russians before as well. So this isn't the first 
time I've had this conversation with President Putin on this issue. 
[Inaudible]--an agreement in place--[inaudible]--said to the Russians, 
we want to work with the Government to fulfill--[inaudible]--and I think 
that is a commitment, an important commitment for the people of Georgia 
to hear, and it's a--it shows there's grounds for work to get this issue 
resolved.
    Jennifer [Jennifer Loven, Associated Press].

Democracy in Georgia

    Q. Sir, how important is it for the United States to step into 
issues like that troop issue to ensure democratic progress? And also, 
does your commitment to democracy mean that separatist regions deserve 
independence if they want it?
    President Bush. Two points to that question. One, my commitment to 
democracy

[[Page 785]]

means that democracies can solve their problems in peaceful ways. And in 
terms of separatist movements within a--within Georgia, that, one, the 
issue can be resolved peacefully; secondly, it will be resolved in a 
transparent way. The President has put a way forward that encourages 
autonomy and self-government but does not encourage dividing up this 
great country. It would seem like to me to be a very reasonable 
proposition. But his commitment--and an important commitment--is one 
that this issue will be resolved peacefully.
    And secondly, it's always important for the United States to stand 
strongly for democracy and freedom. That's what we believe in. And so 
standing with the President of Georgia should send a message that we 
embrace freedom movements and we stand with young democracies and we 
want to help where we can help build the institutions that outlast the 
moment, so that future generations of Georgians can grow up in a free 
society. And we've got a great partner in President Saakashvili. He is a 
strong believer in democracy. And I appreciate his leadership on the 
issue.
    President Saakashvili. Well, just to add one thing, that certainly I 
believe that--I believe in strong self-government. I myself came to 
this--to my office from self-government. I know what self-government 
means. I know how people can feel strongly about their identities. 
Georgia's strength is its diversity. It's not its weakness; it's our 
strength.
    Now, the problem with those regions are, especially with Abkhazia, 
that they're throughout almost whole populations. So we are talking 
about democratic choice. First, those people should be able to regain 
their property, to regain their right to be there, to regain their right 
to be safe, and rules for their self-government, rules for autonomy, 
rules for all kind of arrangement that would materialize their rights.
    It's not like this, that you throw out the people and then you hold 
elections with 10 percent of the population to decide, and you call it 
democracy. It's not democracy. It's something else. And that's why it's 
so important to speak about peace, about peaceful settlements, about 
democratic choices within the framework of peace, because when guns 
speak, then people cannot materialize their rights. That's obvious for 
us. And we suffered a lot, and this region suffered enough from the 
conflicts, and we don't want any more of them. And this is our very 
strong position.

U.S. Role in Resolution of Georgian Conflict

    Q. Question to Mr. Bush. You discussed the settlement--[inaudible]--
in Georgia, and United States will play an active role in this process. 
In specific, what kind of help United States can offer to Georgia for 
conflict resolution? Because Georgian Government has a position to 
settle this resolution peacefully and this conflict peacefully, do you 
think that the main problem is outside force--third force?
    President Bush. [Inaudible]--disputes. And first, I'm confident that 
the Government of Georgia has got a good strategy to move forward to 
resolve the disputes. And obviously, if the President were to call and 
wanted me to make a phone call or two, I'd be more than happy to do so. 
But this is a dispute that is going to be resolved by the Georgian 
Government and by the folks in the separatist region.
    The United States cannot impose a solution, nor would you want us 
to. But what we can do is we can help. We can work with international 
bodies and work with the U.N., for example. We can work with other 
groups, all aimed at helping resolve this issue peacefully. But this is 
an issue that will be resolved by the duly elected Government of Georgia 
in a peaceful way. And the President has, as just mentioned, reached out 
in a constructive way, suggested autonomy and self-government, but he 
doesn't want to--he wants the country to remain intact. And we're more 
than willing. Listen, we talk quite often. When he calls, if he's got 
some suggestions where I can--where he thinks I can help and I think it 
makes sense, I will be glad to do so.

Georgia-Russia Relations

    Q. Did you get President Putin to see the importance of democracies 
on his border? And you've also complimented a recent speech he gave on 
democracy. But has he

[[Page 786]]

taken any concrete steps to satisfy your concerns?
    President Bush. Well, he gave the speech, I think, 3 days ago, and 
it was--or maybe 4 or 5 days ago--it was a very constructive speech, I 
thought, where he did talk about the benefits of democracy for his 
people. And democracies are peaceful countries. And when you have 
peaceful countries on your border, it--you benefit. And Georgia is a 
peaceful country. Georgia is a democracy. The people here are trying to 
right the wrongs of the past and move forward. The President spends a 
lot of time talking to me about economic improvements, entrepreneurship 
and small businesses and vitality of the economy so people can make a 
living. And when you have countries focused on the needs of the people, 
it tends to make them peaceful neighbors.
    And so, over time, any country will recognize the benefits of 
democracy on her border. And I'm confident Russia will recognize the 
benefits of having democracies on her border. And Georgia is a great 
example of a peaceful democracy that wants to resolve whatever lingering 
disputes there may be in a peaceful fashion.
    And so I want to, one, again thank the President for his hospitality 
and for setting such a vivid example of what is possible when the people 
speak. And it's this democratic movement that took place here in Georgia 
that is going to help transform the greater Middle East. And that's 
important for people in Georgia and around the world to understand, that 
democracies in the greater Middle East will make the world a more 
peaceful place. A democracy in Iraq will send such a strong and vivid 
example to others about what is possible. And democracies are peaceful 
societies. And one of the things that we all long for--at least I long 
for; I'm confident the President does as well--is to leave behind a more 
peaceful world for our children and grandchildren.
    So, thank you, Mr. President. Thank you all for the press 
conference.
    President Saakashvili. Thank you.

Note: The President's news conference began at 10:27 a.m. at the 
Parliament Building. In his remarks, President Bush referred to 
President Vladimir Putin of Russia. Some reporters spoke in Georgian, 
and their questions were translated by an interpreter. A portion of this 
news conference could not be verified because the tape was incomplete.