[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 6 (Monday, February 18, 2008)]
[Pages 181-182]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Discussion With President Amadou Toumani Toure of 
Mali

February 12, 2008

    President Bush. It's been a honor and a pleasure to welcome the 
President of Mali here to the Oval Office.
    We discussed a variety of issues. I was touched by the President's 
concern about the life of the average citizen in Mali. We are partners 
with the President and the people of Mali through the Millennium 
Challenge Account. And one reason we worked with the Government is 
because they've agreed to fight corruption and support the education and 
health of its citizens. This is a country that's committed to the rights 
of its people, and we're proud to be standing side by side with you.
    Two issues that are very important to this administration, Mr. 
President, were the issues that my wife, Laura, discussed when she came 
to your country. One is literacy, and two is the eradication of malaria. 
And I assured the President that our commitment remains strong to both 
important issues. And I thank him very much for his hard work in helping 
his citizens deal with HIV/AIDS.
    And finally, the President and I spent a fair amount of time talking 
about the dangers of radicals and extremists associated with groups like 
Al Qaida. And we talked about the need for close cooperation to protect 
the innocent people from those who murder the innocent in order to 
achieve their dark political vision.
    So it's been my honor to welcome a good man here to the Oval Office.
    President Toure. Yes. First of all, I would like to convey to the 
President of the United

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States the sympathies and solidarity of the people of Mali because of 
the destruction----
    President Bush. Thank you.
    President Toure. ----brought by the tornadoes in some of the 
Southern States of the United States.
    And then I told Mr. President that we were sensitive and impressed 
by the impression that we had from the visit of Mrs. Laura Bush to Mali 
some time ago. Also, thank the President for the friendship between the 
people of the United States and the people of Mali and the cooperation 
between Mali and the United States that we do entertain on both sides 
since the independence of Mali in 1960.
    But I could also come to the United States just to tell Mr. 
President, thank you, because the President had some initiatives not 
only for Mali but also for Africa, which we believe are historical 
initiatives, and which we do have the Millennium Challenge Corporation, 
the greater participation against the fight against AIDS through the 
Global Fund, the initiative of the eradication of malaria, and not to 
forget the Presidential initiative on literacy in Africa, which is very 
important in our view, because when you want to develop, you need to 
also improve basic education.
    President Bush. That's right.
    President Toure. So I emphasized to the President that--and I 
reaffirm--that Mali signed and Mali averred to all different initiatives 
on the fight against terrorism. So it is humanly inadmissable, 
unacceptable to see or to assist or to be indifferent to the suggestion 
that we are seeing to some practices which really do not deserve to 
exist.
    So we had a fruitful exchange of views on our cooperation. So I said 
to Mr. President that I would like to thank him and also to convey all 
the gratitude of the people of Mali, but I emphasized also the fact that 
may God save Mali and the United States. President, thank you very much.
    President Bush. Thank you, sir.

Note: The President spoke at 10:33 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. President Toure spoke in French, and his remarks were translated 
by an interpreter.