[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 40 (Monday, October 13, 2008)]
[Pages 1321-1322]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Meeting With President Ivan Gasparovic of Slovakia

October 9, 2008

    President Bush. It is my honor to welcome the President of Slovakia 
to the Oval Office. Slovakia is an ally and friend of the United States. 
And in my time as President, I have come to admire this President. He's 
an easy man to talk to. He's got good, strong opinions, and I appreciate 
his values.
    We talked about a variety of subjects. I assured him that the United 
States will take strong action in dealing with the current economic 
situation. And I also talked about our common desire to have a--to work 
with our European friends to develop as best as possible common policy.
    During my Presidency, I was pleased to support Slovakia's ascension 
into NATO. I was confident that Slovakia would be an excellent partner 
and ally in NATO, and history has proven me correct. And I thank the 
people of Slovakia for supporting the Government's decision to deploy 
troops into Afghanistan to help that young democracy never again be a 
safe haven for terrorists, and to serve as an example of the 
transformative power of freedom.
    Finally, we talked about visa waiver. I told the President that 
Slovakia has made a lot of progress on visa waiver. And I expect that in 
mid-November there will be a--you know, a positive decision for the 
people of your good country, Mr. President. And I congratulate you and 
your foreign ministry for working hard on this issue. And I'm glad to 
welcome you to the Oval Office.
    President Gasparovic. Mr. President, allow me to start by thanking 
you for inviting me. This is an extraordinary day for me. And I believe 
it is also a satisfaction to the people of Slovakia for them to see that 
Slovakia has a favorable disposition towards our country, and that we 
have good relations. I believe that in the history of our relations, we 
are currently at our highest point.
    It was during his Presidency that President Bush supported Slovakia 
on its way to NATO, which in turn, helped Slovakia to become a member of 
the European Union. These were two very important steps and decisions 
that allowed Slovakia to build its reputation as a credible country. And 
it is this credibility that allows Slovakia to attract foreign 
investment into our country. Slovakia continues to be a prosperous 
country and a country that has and maintains its credibility in foreign 
policy as well.

    We talked about many difficult issues. We talked also about the 
financial crisis and about the steps that need to be taken in order to 
overcome this crisis and to reinvigorate the financial system.

    I'm very glad that Slovakia and its economy is currently in a 
situation where we will not likely be taking a direct hit from this 
financial crisis. Slovakia is in a position where we're able to mitigate 
many impacts of this crisis. On the other hand, Slovakia is the world's 
largest per capita car producer. This means that Slovakia's exports and 
foreign trade will suffer. However, we believe that we can take steps to 
mitigate this impact.

    I was glad that in my capacity as the President of the Slovak 
Republic, I was able to reassure the President that Slovakia will 
continue to stand behind its commitments and its dedication to NATO, and 
that we will continue to be present in Afghanistan. Moreover, Slovakia 
will increase the number of troops deployed to Afghanistan by 100 
percent.

    In closing, I want to say that I believe, Mr. President, our meeting 
today was a very strong message of the good relations that Slovakia has 
with the United States, and vice versa.

     I believe that this will continue----

    President Bush. Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 11:16 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. President Gasparovic spoke in Slovak, and his remarks were 
translated by an interpreter.

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