[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 16 (Monday, April 24, 2006)]
[Pages 724-725]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following Discussions With Prime Minister Fuad Siniora of 
Lebanon

April 18, 2006

    President Bush. It's been my honor to welcome the Prime Minister of 
Lebanon to the Oval Office. Prime Minister, thanks for coming.
    Prime Minister Siniora. Thank you very much for giving us the 
opportunity.
    President Bush. Well, we just had a really interesting discussion. I 
told the Prime Minister that the United States strongly supports a free 
and independent and sovereign Lebanon. We took great joy in seeing the 
Cedar Revolution. We understand that the hundreds of thousands of people 
who took to the street to express their desire to be free required 
courage, and we support the desire of the people to have a government 
responsive to their needs and a government that is free, truly free.
    We talked about the need to make sure that there is a full 
investigation on the death of former Prime Minister Hariri, and we'll 
work with the international community to see that justice is done. We 
talked about the great tradition of Lebanon to serve as a model of 
entrepreneurship and prosperity. Beirut is one of the great 
international cities, and I'm convinced that if Lebanon is truly free 
and independent and democratic that Beirut will once again regain her 
place as a center of financial and culture and the arts.
    There's no question in my mind that Lebanon can serve as a great 
example for what is possible in the broader Middle East; that out of the 
tough times the country has been through will rise a state that shows 
that it's possible for people of religious difference to live side by 
side in peace; to show that it's possible for people to put aside past 
histories to live together in a way that the people want, which is there 
for to be peace and hope and opportunity.
    And so, Mr. Prime Minister, we're really glad you're here. I want to 
thank you for the

[[Page 725]]

wonderful visit we've had, and welcome you here to the White House.
    Prime Minister Siniora. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I would 
like to really thank President Bush for giving us the opportunity to be 
here at the White House and to discuss matters of mutual interest to the 
United States and Lebanon, and matters that has to do with the 
developments that have been taking place in Lebanon.
    For the past--over 16 or 18 months, Lebanon has been undergoing 
major changes. And Lebanon has really been committing itself that we 
want the change to happen to--in a democratic and a peaceful manner, but 
at the same time, to really stay course--on course; that we are there to 
meet the expectations of the people to have a united, liberal, free 
country, and, at the same time, prosperous economy.
    So that are the matters that we have discussed with President Bush. 
And I really would like to seize this opportunity to thank President 
Bush and the United States for the support that they have been extending 
to Lebanon throughout the past periods and with all the resolutions that 
were taken since the assassination of Prime Minister Hariri. The United 
States has been of great support to Lebanon.
    I am really convinced that President Bush and the United States will 
stand beside Lebanon to have Lebanon stay as a free, democratic, united, 
and sovereign state. And the United States is really of great importance 
in this regard, whether this can be done directly or indirectly. So I 
would like once more to express our great thanks for President Bush and 
the United States for this.
    President Bush. Thank you, sir. Appreciate it.

Note: The President spoke at 11:51 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House.