[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 36 (Monday, September 11, 2006)]
[Page 1557]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following Discussions With Amir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah 
of Kuwait

September 5, 2006

    President Bush. Your Highness, thank you for coming. It's been my 
honor to welcome you and your delegation here to the Oval Office. I 
congratulate you for taking on the very important responsibilities of 
our close friend and ally, Kuwait.
    We've had a important strategic dialog about how to work together to 
promote peace and stability in the Middle East. I thank you for your 
leadership. I congratulate you for your steady reforms in your country. 
They have served as a notable example for others in the region. I thank 
you very much for your steadfast support of our United States military. 
It means a lot, Your Highness, to know that we can count on your 
friendship.
    I appreciated your advice on a variety of matters. His Highness has 
got a clear vision about how we can work together strategically as well 
as commercially. And I want to thank you for that vision. I assured His 
Highness that I fully understand that the United States has an 
obligation to work to promote the peace. And we will work to promote the 
peace with our friends.
    And so I welcome you here, sir. It's great to see you again. And I'm 
honored that you would take time to visit me.
    Amir Sabah. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I would like really 
to express my gratitude on my own behalf and the behalf of the 
delegation that accompanying me for this kind invitation. We have 
conducted a very fruitful talk. We have covered several issues, 
bilateral issues, economic issues related to strengthening the bilateral 
relation between our two countries. And also we have discussed some 
regional matters related with the aim of both of us to achieve stability 
in the region.
    Yes, I do agree that there are differences between points of view 
from the United States and some of our region. But, nevertheless, I 
would like also to say that there are differences between ourselves, the 
region. But the goal is to achieve peace and security, and we have seen 
in a lot of our positions that we are seeing our--the positions eye to 
eye. Therefore, I am very grateful for the outcome of this visit.
    President Bush. Thank you, sir. Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 11:54 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. Amir Sabah spoke in Arabic, and his remarks were translated by an 
interpreter.