    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 38 (Monday, September 25, 2006)]
    [Pages 1632-1633]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks Following Discussions With President Jacques Chirac of France
    and an Exchange With Reporters in New York City

    September 19, 2006

        President Bush. It's been a pleasure to have a meaningful, strategic
    dialog with Jacques Chirac. We talked about a lot of subjects. It's
    important that France and the United States work closely to keep the
    peace. We talked about Iran; we talked about Syria; we talked about the
    Palestinian-Israeli issue; we talked about Darfur; we talked about
    common problems and how to solve those problems. It was a very
    constructive and important dialog.
        Mr. President, welcome back to America, and thank you for your time.
        President Chirac. We're always welcome in the United States.
    Relations between the United States and France are longstanding and
    deeply rooted.
        Well, indeed, today we have discussed and evidenced the fact that we
    have common approaches and a common sense of the main issues that we
    discussed, relating as they do to peace and to development throughout
    the world--in fact, this coincides with the 61st U.N. General Assembly,
    which is going to meet today.
        So we discussed peace and development. And particularly on the
    subject of peace-related issues, we addressed the issue of Iran, of the
    Israeli-Palestinian conflict; we addressed Lebanon and, of course,
    Africa, in particular--in Africa. And with respect to Africa, we
    addressed the issue of what's going on in Darfur.
        And we, as a result of this, have once again confirmed that we are
    entirely on the same wavelength--we have the same approach to the
    different issues, which are of deep and grave concern to us, as they
    challenge and jeopardize peace in different parts of the world.
        I repeat what I've already said, namely that we concur, our views
    concur on these matters, particularly on the issue of a possible
    agreement with the Iranians. And therefore, France, I'm convinced, the
    United States, the American administration and the French Government see
    eye to eye on these matters and on how to address them.
        President Bush. One question a side. Nedra [Nedra Pickler,
    Associated Press].

    Iran/Nuclear Weapons Development

        Q. Yes, thank you, Mr. President. President Chirac has proposed
    suspending the threat of sanctions against Iran as an incentive to get
    them to the negotiating table. What do you think of that idea?
        President Bush. First of all, France and the United States share the
    same goal, and that is for the Iranians not to have a nuclear weapon.
        Secondly, we share the same goal. We'd like to solve this problem
    diplomatically, and we understand working together is important. And the
    Iranians have got to understand, we share the same objective, and we're
    going to continue to strategize together.
        The EU-3 will continue to dialog with the Iranians to get them to
    the table so that they

    [[Page 1633]]

    will suspend, verifiably suspend their enrichment activities, in which
    case, the United States will come to the table. And we believe time is
    of the essence. Should they continue to stall, we will then discuss the
    consequences of their stalling. And one of those consequences, of
    course, would be some kind of sanction program.
        But now is the time for the Iranians to come to the table. And
    that's what we discussed.
        President Chirac. For the past 2 days, I've had the opportunity to
    speak very clearly on the subject--at least I hope I've been very
    clear--and let me take this opportunity once again to say that the
    present views of the United States and I again see eye to eye on this
    one. I totally agree with President Bush. We are both determined to push
    forward on this one, to move ahead in a constructive manner. And the
    first thing we need to do is to find a solution so that, indeed--and end
    be put to the uranium enrichment activity being engaged in, and then we
    can move on to finding solutions to the other problems that arise and
    stem from this issue.
        President Bush. Final question. Do you want to call on somebody?

    [At this point, a question was asked in French, and no translation was
    provided.]

        President Chirac. There never has been any ambiguity as to the
    positions adopted respectively by the Europeans, by the six, by the
    United States, and in particular by France. We have always said very
    clearly that any negotiations--and let's face it; this is the normal
    course of events; this negotiation is the normal way in which one
    expects to address and, indeed, settle, solve such a thorny issue as
    this one--that negotiations are the way we are heading.
        Nonetheless, we have equally said that we cannot have negotiations
    if we do not have prior suspension, on the one hand, of uranium
    enrichment activity on the part of Iran, and on the other, on the part
    of the six, the agreement not to approach the Security Council on this
    matter, in particular, this will include the possibility of examining a
    sanction program.
        I think this has been said abundantly clearly time and again, and I
    do not really understand what kind of controversy has arisen or
    misunderstanding could have crept in, insofar as this, as I said, has
    been repeatedly said. Maybe it's due to a lack of understanding of the
    situation, but there's no ambiguity on our side.
        President Bush. Thank you, Jacques.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:10 a.m. at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
    President Chirac spoke in French, and his remarks were translated by an
    interpreter.