[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 39 (Monday, October 6, 2008)]
[Pages 1278-1279]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Meeting With President Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine

September 29, 2008

    President Bush. I was disappointed in the vote with the United 
States Congress on the economic rescue plan. We put forth a plan that 
was big because we got a big problem. I'm going to be talking to my 
economic advisers after my meeting here with the President, and we'll be 
working with Members of Congress--leaders of Congress on the way 
forward. Our strategy is to continue to address this situation--economic 
situation head on. And we'll be working to develop a strategy that will 
enable us to continue to move forward.
    Mr. President, welcome. I welcome you here to the Oval Office. I 
admire your steadfast support for democratic values and principles. A 
lot of Americans have watched with amazement how your country became a 
democracy. We strongly support your democracy. We look forward to 
working with you to strengthen that democracy.
    You and I just had a good discussion about a variety of issues. We 
discussed, you know, the NATO and the membership application process. We 
discussed energy independence. We discussed ways that we can work 
together to bring stability and peace to parts of the world. And I thank 
you for joining us here in Washington in the Oval Office, and I send my 
respects to the people of Ukraine.
    President Yushchenko. First of all, Mr. President, I would like to 
thank for the atmosphere that our negotiations were held in.

[[Page 1279]]

We had our conversation in a very constructive manner. We touched upon 
the range of issues, starting from our bilateral relations, and the 
implementation of U.S.-Ukraine action plan. And we consider this roadmap 
as being implemented in a successful way. A lot of attention was paid to 
security component and security itself, and a special attention was paid 
towards Ukraine integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures.
    We raised the issue of energy cooperation, which is a very urgent 
issue for us. And we believe that we've done excellent job on the 
adaptation of American nuclear fuel for our nuclear power units, and we 
intend to continue that.
    We also discussed the domestic political situation in Ukraine, which 
in my opinion is far away from being tragic, and nondramatic. Ukraine 
has enough democratic resource and tools to give sufficient response to 
any crisis that may occur in the Ukrainian Parliament. And this is 
probably where the Ukrainian strength and optimism is.
    I also asked Mr. President to delegate the high-ranking delegation 
from the United States of America to participate in the commemorating 
events of the great famine in Ukraine of 1932 and 1933. The 
commemoration day will be on November the 22d, and this will be the 
commemoration of the biggest humanitarian catastrophe in our country. 
And we need to do everything for that issue to be included in the UNGA 
agenda.
    President Bush. Thank you, sir.
    President Yushchenko. Thank you.
    President Bush. You're welcome.

Note: The President spoke at 3:25 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. President Yushchenko spoke in Ukrainian, and his remarks were 
translated by an interpreter.