[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 37 (Monday, September 22, 2008)]
[Pages 1210-1213]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Meeting With President John Agyekum Kufuor of Ghana

September 15, 2008

    President Bush. Good morning. I'm pleased to be here with my friend 
the President of Ghana, John Kufuor of Ghana. We just had a very good 
discussion, and before I summarize it, I do want to say a word about the 
U.S. economy.
    I know Americans are concerned about the adjustments that are taking 
place in our financial markets. At the White House and throughout my 
administration, we're focused on them, and we're working to reduce 
disruptions and minimize the impact of these

[[Page 1211]]

financial market developments on the broader economy.
    I've been in close touch with Secretary Paulson throughout this 
weekend and this morning. I appreciate the work the Treasury Department 
and the Federal Reserve and the Securities and Exchange Commission and 
major financial institutions here and around the world are doing to 
promote stability in the financial systems.
    As policymakers, we're focused on the health of the financial system 
as a whole. In the short run, adjustments in the financial markets can 
be painful, both for the people concerned about their investments and 
for the employees of the affected firms. In the long run, I'm confident 
that our capital markets are flexible and resilient, and can deal with 
these adjustments.
    I admire President Kufuor, and the reason I do is because he has 
shown the world that democracy can flourish on the continent of Africa. 
He's been a steady and principled leader. We're soon to leave office, 
but I'm going to finish strong, and I know you are as well.
    We had a good discussion about important issues, such as fighting 
disease. One of the initiatives that we're working on together is the 
fight against neglected tropical diseases. And the President brought me 
up to date on the strategy to deal with that important issue and how we 
can help.
    We're talking about, obviously, fighting malaria. And the good news 
is, is that this is a Government that's very capable of taking American 
help and converting it into the kind of results that we all expect.
    We talked about education and economic opportunity. The United 
States supports vital educational partnerships in Ghana. We're training 
teachers. We've issued 6,000 scholarships to girls. Under the 
President's leadership, the education system is improving, and we're 
glad just to be a small part of that, Mr. President.
    And one of the most important initiatives of this administration has 
been the Millennium Challenge Account. It's an opportunity for the 
United States Government to help countries that govern justly and invest 
in the health and education of their people and believe in market 
economies. Ghana is such a country. And as the President mentioned in 
the welcoming ceremony, we're soon to begin spending $547 million to 
renovate schools, increase agricultural productivity, expand 
infrastructure, and support rural development.
    The conclusion of the Millennium Challenge compact, Mr. President, 
is a testament to your leadership, and I'm very comfortable in telling 
the American people that this will be money well spent.
    The President has been very strong voice for peace. We talked about 
Darfur. I appreciate very much Ghana's 11 U.N. peacekeeping operations 
that are ongoing. He has been a good, steady voice for strong leadership 
and for conflict resolution, witnessed by the fact that they were great 
on the U.N. Security Council. And thank you for your leadership there.
    All in all, it's been a good partnership, it's been good partners 
amongst me and you, John, but it's been a good partner between our 
countries. And I firmly believe that beyond our time in office, whoever 
the next Presidents will be, they will find relations between our 
countries are in good shape, which I believe is vital.
    And so I welcome you here. Laura and I are looking forward to having 
you to dinner tonight. I promise not to unleash the dance moves--
[laughter]--that I first displayed in Ghana, in what was one of the most 
memorable trips of my Presidency.
    And so we're sure glad you're here. Welcome.
    President Kufuor. Thank you very much. Mr. President, I want to use 
this opportunity to express the deep appreciation of my nation and 
myself to you, as President of the United States, and to your great 
nation, for the supports we've benefited and our relationship with you.
    The two countries have been friendly since Ghana attained 
independence in 1957. But I believe, under our watch this relationship 
has been taken even higher----
    President Bush. Yes, sir.
    President Kufuor. ----and has translated into many supports 
affecting the--all aspects of our national life in Ghana. A typical 
example is the Millennium Challenge Accounts by which Ghana received, or 
is receiving, $547

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million to modernize and commercialize agriculture. You would appreciate 
the importance of this gesture from the United States when you know that 
about 60 percent of the Ghana population is rural and depends on 
agriculture.
    So far much of our agriculture is subsistence, meaning farmers just 
scratch--[inaudible]--to feed themselves. But with the advent of the 
Millennium Challenge Accounts, we want to move the farmers on to more 
scientific and technological agriculture, and thereby empower them more 
and make agriculture worth pursuing for the youth.
    President Bush. Yes, sir.
    President Kufuor. We are suffering as an economy adrift--very 
serious drift of the youth from the rural parts to the urban areas, 
which have not been planned to accommodate----
    President Bush. Right.
    President Kufuor. ----the drifts. And so now, in our streets in the 
big towns you have street children. We believe the success of the 
Millennium Challenge Account will help stem all these anti-social 
developments.
    President Bush. Right.
    President Kufuor. If you look at the malaria support from the United 
States, our country in the old times was dubbed ``the white man's 
grave.'' It was malaria-infested and the Europeans who first came along 
our coasts just didn't last. This disease continues to plague much of 
Africa and perhaps is the biggest killer--even bigger than HIV/AIDS--of 
our people on the continent. The hefty support we are getting from the 
United States, under your watch, is very welcome, and we hope to take it 
even further, again employing technologies and more scientific research.
    President Bush. Yes, sir.
    President Kufuor. Similarly, under your watch you have increased the 
support for the fight against HIV/AIDS, which is devastating many 
countries on our continent. I believe you've increased the supports your 
country has been giving by over $20 billion. I believe that's 
humanitarian----
    President Bush. Thank you.
    President Kufuor. ----and you have to be accorded the credit----
    President Bush. Thank you.
    President Kufuor. ----for this gesture.
    In terms of trade, your country, I would say, holds the hub. We in 
Ghana trade in your currency, for instance. So with the current 
difficulties, naturally we also are affected. So we can only wish that 
your country rallies quickly to find solutions so that much of the world 
would be saved the trauma that we are going through.
    If you take the current situation of rapidly increasing food prices 
and crude oil prices, which are subverting all the efforts we are trying 
to make to put our economies together, we believe the developed as well 
as the developing countries should feel that we are in the boat together 
and that we must learn to sail together or perhaps we sink together.
    Again, with the climatic change--and here I have to express 
condolences and sympathy to the United States for what you are suffering 
down south in your country, especially in your State of Texas now.
    President Bush. My State, Texas, yes.
    President Kufuor. But you must know you are not alone here.
    President Bush. Thank you.
    President Kufuor. On the continent of Africa, as elsewhere in Asia, 
we are victims of the changes of climate. But this, again, should show 
humanity that perhaps we all belong together more than we want to admit. 
If we are going to make a dent on the problems caused by the climatic 
change, we need to be able to marshal scientific and technological 
knowledge and resources in which your country, the United States, must 
play leadership.
    So look to you to readily put abroad your resources, ethically and 
selflessly, so all of us will see how to contain----
    President Bush. Right.
    President Kufuor. ----the challenges of global--climatic change, 
which again, should make us aware that perhaps we are already into the 
global village, and which we should share common values and sense of 
humanity. Forget about the race; forget about the ideology; forget about 
the religion--it's humanity that is at risk. And the United States 
definitely is in the forefront, or must be in the vanguard, of trying to 
find solutions to save mankind.

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    But at bottom, Ghana is very grateful for the friendship we are--she 
is enjoying from the United States. And I, personally, am very happy and 
appreciate your friendship so far.
    President Bush. Thank you, sir.
    President Kufuor. And I look forward to a good and productive 
retirement, just as I wish for you, as you go into retirement. 
[Laughter]
    President Bush. Thank you, sir. [Laughter]
    President Kufuor. You have been good, and I hope history will judge 
you well.
    President Bush. Thank you, sir.
    President Kufuor. Thank you very much.
    President Bush. Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 11 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White 
House.