[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 45 (Monday, November 14, 2005)]
[Page 1674]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in a Discussion on Panama's Future in Panama City

November 7, 2005

    I want to thank you very much. Mr. President, thank you for your 
invitation. I told the President earlier I was really looking forward to 
stopping here in Panama for a variety of reasons. First, I'm proud of 
the job he's done. He's fought corruption. He's been a strong fiscal 
steward of the people's money. This economy is growing.
    Secondly, I wanted to see the Panama Canal. It's a marvel. It's a 
fantastic opportunity to see this great engineering feat. And at our 
press availability today, I said how proud I was of the people of Panama 
for managing this canal in such a professional way, for the good of 
commerce around the world.
    Thirdly, I think it's very important for us always to reconfirm the 
importance of democracy in our hemisphere. And Panama is a strong 
democracy, a democracy that believes in the freedom to worship, the 
freedom to speak, the freedom of the press, the notion that everybody 
has got a voice. And so it's an opportunity to say thank you for those 
of you who are working so strong to make sure your democracy flourishes.
    So Laura and I are really thrilled to be here. It's a magnificent 
trip. I'm sorry it's not longer. I told the President after I'm 
President, I'll come back and go fishing with him. [Laughter] In the 
meantime, thanks for having us. I'm proud to be here.

Note: The President spoke at 11:30 a.m. at Salon Miraflores. The Office 
of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of 
these remarks. A tape was not available for verification of the content 
of these remarks.