    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 12 (Monday, March 26, 2007)]
    [Pages 363-364]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks Following a Discussion With Prime Minister Helen Clark of New
    Zealand

    March 21, 2007

        President Bush. Madam Prime Minister, welcome. We've had a really
    fruitful discussion. The Prime Minister and I have visited several times
    over the course of the years. Every time I've talked to Helen Clark,
    I've found a very straightforward, honest woman who cares deeply about
    the country she represents. And I really thank you very much for coming
    back.
        We talked about a lot of subjects. We talked about the importance
    for the United States and New Zealand to work cooperatively in helping
    democracy in places like Afghanistan. We talked about North Korea and
    Iran, our mutual desire for these problems of nations wanting to have
    nuclear weapons to be solved in a peaceful way by using the diplomatic
    process.
        We talked about commerce. We talked about the environment and the
    need for our respective countries to work toward energy security. I
    assured the Prime Minister that my initiative to reduce gasoline in the
    United States by 20 percent over the next 10 years was a realistic
    initiative that's going to require new technologies, which we hope that
    other parts of the world, including New Zealand, will find useful to
    help achieve the common objective.
        We talked about the South Pacific, and I praised the Prime Minister
    on her leadership in dealing with some difficult issues. I assured her
    that our Government want to help in any way we can. We understand this
    is a--some of the countries there have got difficult issues, and it
    requires New Zealand's leadership, with U.S. help, to help solve the
    problems--and Australian help as well.
        We talked about the need for us to continue to work together in the
    Asia Pacific region, about how APEC is a useful forum for New Zealand
    and the United States to work with China and other nations.
        All in all, I found it to be a constructive conversation, such a
    good conversation I've decided to invite her for lunch.
        Madam Prime Minister.
        Prime Minister Clark Well, thank you, Mr. President. It has been a
    good conversation. It's a very good relationship. And we've talked about
    the areas in the new international security environment where we're
    working particularly closely--counter-
    terrorism, counterproliferation. The President is very familiar with the
    work New Zealand has been doing in Afghanistan and very appreciative of
    it, as I know the Afghanistan Government and people are.
        We've talked about New Zealand's support in the counterproliferation
    area. I've told the

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    President today that following on the good work his country and others
    have done in the six-party talks on North Korea, New Zealand is prepared
    to offer support for the energy package as part of the initial actions
    agreement that came out of the last session of the six-party talks.
    We've been involved with the Korean issue before, support of the KEDO
    fund. So we're prepared to be in and support denuclearization of the
    Korean Peninsula.
        We're also participating with the U.S. on another project under the
    G-8 global partnership for eliminating the weapons of mass destruction
    still floating around the ex-Soviet countries. And we'll be involved in
    another partnership with the U.S. on the Ukranian border, which involves
    training officials and detecting material which might be crossing
    borders.
        I've talked about the importance to us of the U.S. presence in the
    Asia Pacific. We cooperate a lot on the Asia Pacific, a lot of common
    objectives, work well in APEC together. I particularly welcomed the
    President's support for developing up the concept of a free trade area
    of the Asia Pacific, which we have to look at again at the Sydney APEC
    summit.
        Also appreciative of the fact that the U.S. is focusing on the
    problems of the South Pacific. We've had close coordination on the
    aftermath of the coup in Fiji, on the issues in the Solomon Islands, on
    Tonga, where the State Department is shortly to send another envoy to
    look at the situation there. Quite a considerable Tonga population in
    the U.S., as well as in New Zealand.
        And of course, Timor, which has many of the characteristics of a
    South Pacific country, we're very active in as well; just sent a new
    helicopter contingent up there to support the peace effort.
        So all in all, we've run through those issues. I've indicated that
    New Zealand is very supportive of fast-track authority being extended
    because the Doha round needs that extension. And if at some point in the
    future the U.S. is in a position to consider negotiating with more
    countries on FTA, New Zealand is there. And we think we present very,
    very few problems for the U.S.
        So had the opportunity to run over a lot of issues, and a very, very
    good relationship, and thank the President for the invitation to be here
    today.
        President Bush. Thank you, Madam Prime Minister. Thank you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:48 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House.