    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 42 (Monday, October 22, 2007)]
    [Pages 1362-1364]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks Following a Meeting With President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of
    Liberia

    October 18, 2007

        President Bush. It is such an honor to welcome back to the Oval
    Office the President of our friend and ally Liberia. Madam President,
    thanks for coming. Thanks for your very strong spirit and your deep
    desire to enhance democracy and improve the lives of your people in
    Liberia.
        We had a good discussion. I want to emphasize a couple of points
    that we discussed. First of all, we are committed to helping you relieve
    your debt. This weekend, IMF will be meeting in Washington, DC, and it's
    very important for our friends in the IMF to recognize that debt relief
    is--for Liberia is a part of our agenda, and I would hope that they
    would help you--help you with debt relief. I think it's important. And
    so Secretary Paulson will be taking that message to the IMF.
        Secondly, I want to thank you very much for your dedication and
    focus on helping the children of Liberia get a good education.

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    You've worked extremely hard to encourage parents to send their children
    to school, and we want to help you to the extent that you ask for help.
    The United States believes it's important that young boys and girls get
    a good education not only here in America but around the world. And the
    President is committed to universal education in Liberia and have made
    great strides since the days of your civil strife.

        I also am very dedicated to helping you on malaria. Laura and I care
    deeply about the fact that young babies die on the continent of Africa
    and elsewhere needlessly. They die simply because of a mosquito bite.
    And so the President and I talked about our desire to put in place a
    malaria initiative that will save lives in Liberia. And we're going to--
    we'll be sending a person on the ground there pretty soon to help
    implement the malaria initiative, and that initiative will mean
    spreading nets and insecticides throughout the country so that we can
    see a reduction in death of young children that--a death that we can
    cure.

        And finally, the Peace Corps has been gone from Liberia, and we
    talked about the fact that now we'll be able to--we're going to move the
    Peace Corps back in. And the Peace Corps has been in touch with our
    State Department and the Liberia folks, and it looks like we're going to
    start moving some teams pretty quickly back into Liberia. And the reason
    why we feel comfortable doing that is because of the leadership of this
    strong person right here.

        And so, Madam President, proud to call you friend and proud to
    welcome you back to the Oval Office.

        President Johnson Sirleaf. Mr. President, thank you. We're so
    pleased to be back here.

        Liberia continues to make progress, despite the many challenges we
    face, and this progress we owe a lot to you and to Mrs. Bush for the
    support we've received. The State Department, National Security Council,
    Treasury have all just been there for us. Whether we're working on debt
    relief, or whether we're trying to improve our educational system or get
    our infrastructure fixed, we've always had a willing hand. The
    Ambassador has been supportive and been a real partner on the ground
    with us.

        We were very pleased, Mr. President, that you granted the delayed
    enforced departure for some of our citizens who couldn't go back home
    because we weren't prepared to receive them----

        The President. Right.

        President Johnson Sirleaf. ----with the jobs and the homes and the
    basic services they needed. So the 18-month reprieve you've given them
    gives them time to prepare themselves and enable us to prepare to
    receive them at some point.

        Liberia was included among three other African countries in the
    special education initiative, and we're very pleased about that. And
    we've just discussed today that you'll be behind us as we try to fight
    malaria. Malaria is one of the greatest killers in our country,
    particular among our young children. And so we'll be working to make
    sure that we get a program where we can have some measurable actions so
    we can reduce this scourge that afflicts our children.

        Overall, we're just so pleased with the relationship. Liberians are
    very proud that you were one of the first ones that set us on this road
    to peace and a road that's enabled us to get the progress we have today.
    We are committed to make Liberia a post-conflict success story. We want
    it to be part of your legacy. We want you to be able to look back and
    say, when I was there I helped Liberia to be a success, to come out of
    the ashes of war and to be a successful economy responding to the needs
    of its people. Thank you for being there for us.

        President Bush. Madam President, thank you. Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:34 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House. President Johnson Sirleaf referred to U.S. Ambassador to Liberia
    Donald E. Booth.

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