[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 13 (Monday, April 7, 2008)]
[Pages 472-473]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Discussion With Secretary General Jakob Gijsbert 
``Jaap'' de Hoop Scheffer of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 
Bucharest

April 2, 2008

    President Bush. Thank you for your time, and thank you for 
organizing the Bucharest summit. I appreciate your service very much to 
the cause of world peace, and I want to thank you for your briefing. 
I'm, like you, optimistic that this is going to be a very successful 
summit.
    We came in with some objectives in mind. One was to get NATO to 
continue to support Afghanistan's democracy. And I feel good about what 
I'm hearing from my fellow leaders about their desire to support 
Afghanistan. And I think if tomorrow we get clarification on troop 
support, I think the people of Afghanistan--the way you indicated it may 
be--the people of Afghanistan are going to be more than grateful. And 
the people who--whose nations are represented in NATO will be supporting 
a cause that is worthy, a cause for peace.
    Secondly, you and I discussed the need for a comprehensive missile 
defense regime out of NATO. And it looks like to me that the ingredients 
are coming together where that could be a distinct possibility. And that 
would be a very important statement because NATO could assure its 
members and the people within NATO that there will be defenses available 
to prevent a Middle Eastern nation, for example, from launching a strike 
which could harm our security.
    We've also talked, obviously, about enlargement. And we'll see, on 
enlargement. There's an issue with one country, in particular, but it 
look--I'm optimistic that this will get solved. And finally, of course, 
Ukraine and Georgia is a very difficult issue for some nations here. 
It's not for me. I think that these nations are qualified nations to 
apply for membership application. And I said so on Ukrainian soil. I 
also said so in the Oval Office with the President of Georgia. And I 
haven't changed my mind, because it's--one of the great things about 
NATO is it encourages the kind of habits that are necessary for peace to 
exist.
    And today in a press conference, I was asked, Mr. Secretary General, 
about Russia's reactions. I said, I have always told Vladimir Putin, my 
friend, that it's in his interest that there be democracies on her 
border, and that he doesn't need to fear NATO; he ought to welcome NATO 
because NATO is a group of nations dedicated to peace. And so I 
appreciate your hard work, and I'm excited about tomorrow's--about 
tonight's meeting and tomorrow's meetings as well.
    Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer. Mr. President, thank you for 
having us and your Afghanistan position. I can share your and echo your 
optimism, I think, on NATO's key operational priority, which is 
Afghanistan. We will do well. We will do well in the political sense 
because we will publish a vision document, as we call it, which is a 
clear sign of our commitments not only of NATO but of the whole 
international community; long-term commitment vis-a-vis Afghanistan, 
which is important for them, for the Afghan people, but is also 
important for the reason that said we should not forget that we are on 
one of the frontlines in a fight against terrorism in Afghanistan. And 
that is a major argument and a major reason that we cannot afford not to 
prevail. And we are prevailing in Afghanistan. So I think that's good 
news. And President Karzai, to whom I spoke this morning, reconfirms 
that good news.

[[Page 473]]

    I'm optimistic about enlargement, Mr. President. I think that 
enlarging the NATO family of democratic nations, this value-based 
organization, is a plus. And I hope that tomorrow will see invitations.
    I also hope that we'll see a positive and constructive meeting with 
the--President Putin and the NATO-Russia Council, with the right tone 
and the right ambition for practical cooperation.
    I'm, like you, Mr. President, optimism about--optimistic about 
missile defense. I think the alliance will take a clear position on 
missile defense, recognizing the threat and working on the answers to 
that recognized threat.
    And last but not least, Mr. President, you mentioned another issue 
which readily will be discussed: Membership Action Plan for Ukraine and 
Georgia. I think this can never be a question of ``whether.'' The 
``whether'' is not questionable. If these nations fulfill the criteria 
and if they want to enter--want to enter themselves through NATO's open 
door, I think that door should be open. So that is a discussion that 
certainly--we certainly are going to have.
    We have a large agenda; we have a full agenda. It will be not only 
NATO's biggest summit ever, but it will also be a very interesting 
political summit with, I think, very good results.
    Mr. President, once again, thank you for having us.
    President Bush. Thank you, sir.
    Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer. Thank you.
    President Bush. Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 5:15 p.m. at the JW Marriott Bucharest 
Grand Hotel. In his remarks, he referred to President Mikheil 
Saakashvili of Georgia; and President Vladimir Putin of Russia. 
Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer referred to President Hamid Karzai of 
Afghanistan.