[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 18 (Monday, May 8, 2006)]
[Pages 847-850]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Meeting With Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and 
an Exchange With Reporters

May 3, 2006

    President Bush. There will be a couple of opening statements and 
then a couple of questions per side.
    Welcome back. Thank you for coming. I've been really looking forward 
to this visit. Chancellor Merkel has got a very good grasp of the 
international issues. She's a clear thinker. She speaks very plainly. 
And I'm honored that you came to visit.
    I'm looking forward to taking the Chancellor upstairs to my private 
residence after this press availability to continue our discussions and 
to have a dinner that is a continuation of a personal relationship that 
is developing, where we're able to speak in such a way that we're--can 
understand our--what we're trying to say and understand our mutual 
desire to work together to make this world a peaceful place. German-U.S. 
relations are very important. They're--and I'm just honored you came 
back.
    I do want to mention that we did talk about a couple of very 
important subjects. Obviously, we spent a lot of time on Iran. After 
all, we're close allies in trying to make sure that the Iranians do not 
develop a nuclear weapon. We talked about the WTO round, the Doha round 
for the WTO, and I appreciated the Chancellor's willingness to work with 
not only the Europeans but with a country like Brazil and others, to see 
if we can't bring this round to a favorable conclusion.
    This evening I'm going to talk to the Chancellor about Sudan and the 
progress that's being made in Iraq. We've got a lot to talk about, 
because we're friends and allies. And so I welcome you; glad you're 
here.
    Chancellor Merkel. Well, let me say that I am indeed very pleased to 
be here, and I am also very gratified to know that over the past few 
months, we have been able to strike up indeed a very, very good rapport, 
very good relationship, indeed a friendship. And we bolster that 
friendship mostly by frequent telephone calls; we've been in constant 
contact.
    We addressed a number of issues here today that--of mutual concern, 
chief among them is Iran, where we are in total agreement, saying that 
under no circumstances must Iran be allowed to come into possession of 
nuclear weapons.
    We are in agreement, also, that a diplomatic solution needs to be 
found, and we do see good chances for bringing this about. But we also 
think that it is essential in this context that the clear resolve of the 
international community is shown by standing united, by showing cohesion 
on this matter. And what is also essential and indeed crucial in this 
context is that we try to draw as many partners as possible into the 
fold and to clearly show to the Iranians that this is unacceptable.
    We also addressed the issue of the WTO, the negotiating round, and 
we said that we want a success of WTO. I explained to the President of 
the United States that we will use the upcoming EU-Latin American summit 
in order to get together again with our partners there, in bilateral 
talks, and try to impress also the Latin American countries that it is, 
indeed, necessary for all of us to come to a successful outcome here and 
that all of these countries need to lend their contribution to bringing 
that about.
    Well--and I trust that this evening we're going to continue 
discussing other important

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foreign policy issues. We also, I think, have a number of bilateral 
issues that we would like to discuss over dinner. Also, because tomorrow 
one of my stops during this trip will be a stop to New York, where I 
will meet with representatives of the American business community--so 
German-American business will also be on the agenda there.
    And in conclusion, let me thank you yet again for the very warm and 
gracious reception here, to the White House.
    President Bush. Thanks. Deb [Deb Riechmann, Associated Press]. Hold 
on a second. One at a time. Deb.

Zacarias Moussaoui

    Q. Mr. President, are you satisfied with the Moussaoui verdict? He 
didn't get the death penalty that the Government was seeking. Were you 
worried that a death sentence might have turned him into a martyr?
    President Bush. Mr. Moussaoui got a fair trial; the jury convicted 
him to life in prison, where he'll spend the rest of his life. In so 
doing, they spared his life, which is something that he evidently wasn't 
willing to do for innocent American citizens.
    As I think about the trial, I can't help but think about the 
families who lost a loved one on September the 11th. I think about the 
rescuers who tried to save lives in the burning buildings. And I know 
that it's really important for the United States to stay on the offense 
against these killers and bring them to justice. And those are my 
thoughts about the Moussaoui trial.

Iran

    Q. Mr. President, what kind of sanctions should be taken against 
Iran, and when?
    President Bush. That's the kind of question that allies discuss in 
private.
    Q. You discussed it just this afternoon.
    President Bush. Hold on a second. It's very important that the 
international community send a clear message to the Iranians that a 
nuclear weapon is unacceptable. We are pleased that the EU-3 has taken 
such a strong role in this measure. It is part of having a unified 
message. The United States is actively involved with our partners in 
achieving this important objective.
    The first important thing that must be done in achieving an issue 
diplomatically is for everybody to share a goal. And the goal is clear, 
and that is, the Iranians should not have a nuclear weapon or the 
capacity to make a nuclear weapon. And that in itself is a important 
diplomatic achievement.
    We--the Chancellor and I, of course, obviously agree on that, but so 
do other partners in this effort, such as the Russians. They agree that 
the Iranians should not have a nuclear--it's a good starting point. And 
now we're talking about the tactics, as to how to achieve that 
objective. One such tactic is to go to the United Nations Security 
Council, and today we laid down a resolution. And we will continue to 
consult with our partners as to how to achieve a diplomatic solution to 
this issue. And the timing of resolutions and what they should say and--
is all--what allies do. And we will come to a common agreement as to how 
to proceed, because this is a common effort.
    And the Iranians must understand that we won't fold, that our 
partnership is strong, that for the sake of world peace, they should 
abandon their nuclear weapons ambitions. And we're resolute on that 
matter. And so that's what Angela and I talk about. We talk about how to 
make sure this coalition continues to send a common message. And I 
appreciate her steadfast--and her strength on this issue.
    Let's see, we've got Toby [Tabassum Zakaria, Reuters], yes.
    Chancellor Merkel. Let me just add one remark. I think in a 
situation, just as the one that we have now, it is crucial, if one wants 
to see this matter through to a diplomatic success, to actually do this 
on a step-by-step basis. Quite often, attempts are being made to rush 
matters, to actually preempt what should be at the end of the process, 
and to take the next--the over--next step before the next one. And I 
really do think that on this one, in order to pursue this diplomatic 
process successfully, we need to pursue this on a step-by-step basis.
    And I mean, it's happening now. We now have an agenda. What is on 
the agenda now is looking at this matter, and then the Chapter VII of 
the Security Council resolution, and what we need to do further is 
discuss

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what we want to pursue further in this process with all of our partners 
and try to keep them all together.
    President Bush. Right. Toby.
    Q. Madam Chancellor, do you want the United States to talk directly 
with Iran on this issue? And did you tell that to President Bush today?
    Chancellor Merkel. What I want is to achieve this together, to be 
successful in this together, in what we are trying to do here--and that 
is to see to it that Iran is not in possession of a nuclear weapon, 
persuading them that they will not be allowed to get possession of a 
nuclear weapon and that they need to abide by international rules.
    And I think in this overall process, we have shown that there is 
very good interaction between us. What we have been doing, we've been 
doing together, and we shall continue to do so. And I think it is right 
in this overall process to say, it's important what the European Union 
has done in this process. They've played a very crucial role. And I must 
say that I'm fully behind the attempts that have been made by the EU-3, 
and together with the United States, because right from the start, we 
have been in on this together, and we shall continue to be so.

Germany-U.S. Relations

    Q. Mr. President----
    President Bush. Nice to see you again.
    Q. Yes. Thank you very much. Nice to see you too.
    President Bush. It's a face a fellow can't forget. [Laughter] Okay.
    Q. We can talk about this. [Laughter] Seriously, we've learned that 
you have been talking a lot with Madam Merkel, and you've been on the 
phone for--six times. You've been--you've seen each other a lot. So how 
has this relation, German-American relation developed since she took 
office? Are we back into partners in leadership? And when are you 
planning to come to Germany, maybe to the soccer World Cup?
    President Bush. I'm going to come to Germany before the G-8 and--am 
I supposed to say that? [Laughter] Breaking news. Last time I had a 
press conference with the Chancellor, I did talk about her predecessor 
and, you know, I had a lot of meetings with her predecessor, and I 
remember them fondly. And I thought our relations--look, the Iraq war 
made relations difficult. People--it's just--the Government didn't 
agree. And I understand that.
    And the Chancellor is a--I wouldn't call it a new chapter in German-
U.S. relations, because I did feel we had, you know, we were still 
writing chapters. But I find the Chancellor to be a--one, a fascinating 
person who brings a unique perspective. A lot of us who grew up in the 
West take our liberties for granted, that freedom is something that's 
just--is prevalent everywhere, and where it's not prevalent, don't worry 
about it.
    Well, I'm talking to a very sophisticated leader who knows what it's 
like to live in a world that isn't free. And there's just something, to 
me, that is intriguing and important to have a partner in peace who 
brings that kind of perspective, who knows the discomfort of what it 
means to live under the iron hand of a Communist ruler.
    So our relationship--the way I view the relationship is, it's 
growing and it's strengthening. Any time you have a relationship like 
this, there has to be a certain degree of trust--and you trust the 
person when they say something. And I appreciate Chancellor Merkel's 
straightforward judgment. And I hope that I've created the condition 
where she tells me what's on her mind, and she expresses her beliefs--
and I certainly will express mine--and we're able to find common ground.
    And we do disagree, of course. And she--but the disagreements are 
always in such a way as to make sure that there's a positive 
relationship, because we both understand relations between Germany and 
the United States are important for our respective people, important for 
the relationships in Europe, for the United States. In other words, it 
enhances the transatlantic relationship. And by working together, we can 
help solve major problems. And this is a troubled world. We're dealing 
with Iran. We're dealing with Sudan. And it's very important for 
diplomacy to work, and it works better when you have a partner in peace, 
a partner--an ally with--a Germany that understands it can really make a 
difference in the international community.

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    And so I value this relationship, and I thank her for her 
friendship. And I'm looking forward to going to Germany again.
    Thank you all.
    Chancellor Merkel. Well, to put this in a nutshell, I invited the 
President to come over before the G-8 summit and to visit me in my 
constituency, simply because I wanted to show him around and show him a 
little bit of what has been achieved in what we call the new Linder; to 
get to know, also, people who, like me, lived on the other side of that 
wall. And let me say that I'm very much looking forward to his coming 
over.
    Q. When?
    Chancellor Merkel. Since the G-8 summit--that was the question as to 
when you would come over--the G-8 summit is from the 15th through the 
17th, so it will, in all probability, be the day before that--the 14th.
    President Bush. Yes, somewhere around there. I want to keep it 
somewhat of a mystery. [Laughter] Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 6:16 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Zacarias Moussaoui, an Al Qaida 
operative who was sentenced on May 4 for helping to plan the September 
11, 2001, terrorist attacks; and former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of 
Germany. Chancellor Merkel spoke in German, and her remarks were 
translated by an interpreter.