[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 44 (Monday, November 6, 2006)]
[Page 1937]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Meeting With Special Envoy for Sudan Andrew S. 
Natsios

October 31, 2006

    I've just had a meeting with the Presidential Special Envoy to 
Sudan, Andrew Natsios. I asked Andrew to serve our country and really 
serve the cause of humanity by taking on this important assignment. He's 
working very closely with Secretary Rice. He brought--he was just there 
for 10 days, and he came back with a grim report about the human 
condition of a lot of people who suffer.
    And, you know, Andrew--the good thing about Andrew is--one thing, he 
puts a report out there, but he also understands we've got to do 
something about it. And the United States is going to work with the 
international community to come up with a single plan on how to address 
this issue and save lives. And Andrew is going to work with other 
partners in peace, and they'll take that plan to the current Government 
of Sudan.
    One element of the plan is something that I strongly supported all 
along, and that there needs to be a credible and effective international 
force to go into Darfur to save lives, to make it clear that the 
international community respects human life, and the international 
community will work in concert to save human life.
    Andrew, I want to thank you for taking on this assignment. The 
situation in Darfur is on our minds. The people who suffer there need to 
know that the United States will work with others to help solve the 
problem. And the Government of Sudan must understand that we're serious, 
when you deliver a message to them on behalf of our Government, that 
we're earnest and serious about their necessity to step up and work with 
the international community. So thank you, Andrew, for that.
    Today, as well, we had news out of the Far East. There is an 
agreement to restart the six-party talks concerning North Korea. I'm 
pleased, and I want to thank the Chinese for encouraging the meeting 
that got the agreement to get the six-party talks restarted. I've always 
felt like it is important for the United States to be at the table with 
other partners when it comes time to addressing this important issue.
    And so I thank not only the Chinese but the South Koreans, the 
Japanese, and the Russians for agreeing to come back to the table with 
North Korea. We'll be sending teams to the region to work with our 
partners to make sure that the current United Nations Security Council 
resolution is enforced, but also to make sure that the talks are 
effective--that we achieve the results we want, which is a North Korea 
that abandons their nuclear weapons programs and her nuclear weapons in 
a verifiable fashion, in return for a better way forward for her people.
    And so I'm very pleased with the progress being made in the Far 
East. Obviously, we've still got a lot of work to do. But I want to 
thank the Secretary for her good work when she went out to the region 
and assure the American people, we'll continue to work to resolve this 
in a peaceful way.
    Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 9:26 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish 
language transcript of these remarks.