[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 39 (Monday, October 6, 2008)]
[Pages 1277-1278]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Meeting With President Valdas Adamkus of Lithuania

September 29, 2008

    President Bush. I'm honored to welcome my friend the President of 
Lithuania here to the Oval. Welcome back, Mr. President. I've come to 
admire your courage, your straightforwardness, and the job you've done 
for your country.
    President Adamkus. Thank you.
    President Bush. I have enjoyed working with you on a variety of 
issues. Lithuania's ascension into NATO is a very important part of our 
foreign policy, yours and mine. It's important for the people of 
Lithuania to know that when the United States makes a commitment 
through, for example, Article 5 of the treaty, we mean it. I'm proud of 
the

[[Page 1278]]

alliance we've established and your contribution to that alliance.
    We also talked about Georgia-Russia and the need for, you know, 
democracies to be able to stand on their own feet without fear of 
bullying. And you've made some very courageous statements on that issue, 
and I appreciate that very much.
    We talked about energy independence, and you explained to me your 
situation with your present power and your future strategies. And I want 
to thank you very much for being forthright with your strategy and 
understanding that the more independent you are from an energy 
perspective, the more independent you are from a political perspective. 
And I thought that was very wise, and we'll try to help you as best as 
we can.
    And finally, our hope and--is that by mid-October, there will be 
visa waiver granted to the citizens of Lithuania. You've worked hard for 
that issue, and it's--I think you can take back to your people a very 
positive report about this very important initiative. And you and your 
government deserve a lot of credit for it.
    All in all, I've really enjoyed working with you. There's a lot more 
to do in 4 months, and I plan on doing it. And I know you and I will be, 
you know, working together. So thank you very much for coming.
    President Adamkus. Thank you, Mr. President. First of all, I would 
like to express the gratitude by the entire Lithuanian nation for your 
constant support, and if that would not be for you, I don't believe we 
would be the members of NATO, and that the entire security question in 
the region would be at doubt.
    President Bush. Thank you.
    President Adamkus. Now, we definitely have some problems, like you 
just indicated with the press, about energy. We're trying to resolve it. 
Hopefully, we will, with your help. And since we need United States 
presence more as I indicated to you, European Union is coming up with 
own foreign policies and policies for Europe. But without United States 
presence, definitely that will be job not completed. So I hope that the 
United States will be visible, just like I ask you if the United States 
will be more visible in the Baltic region over there, just to show our 
neighbors that we're definitely not alone.
    And we are building the democracy together, not I mean by 
individually, state by state. And all those years I have worked with 
you, here, those over there--memorable, great years. Thank you very 
much, on behalf of all the Lithuanian people.
    President Bush. Thank you, sir. Thank you. Yes.

Note: The President spoke at 11:50 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House.