President Bush Meets with Czech Republic President Havel
Remarks by President Bush and Czech Republic President Vaclav Havel in Photo Opportunity
The Oval Office
10:12 A.M. EDT
PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. President, welcome to the Oval Office. We're
so glad you are here. It's my honor to welcome a truly remarkable
person, a man who symbolizes courage and determination, and a man who
loves freedom.
Mr. President, you are a unique person who has helped change the
world. I am proud to call you friend, and my nation is proud to call
the Czech Republic friend, as well. I look forward to our discussion
about important issues today, and I also look forward to having a
dinner tonight.
So, welcome. Welcome to our capital and welcome to the Oval
Office.
The President is going to say some remarks here.
PRESIDENT HAVEL: I would like to thank Mr. President for his kind
words on my address. I'm very moved. I thank you for your hospitality
for the time which Laura Bush and you made for us. And I hope we shall
have important and interesting discussions about the future of human
rights, and about homeland security.
I would like, publicly, to thank you for your solidarity and your
support during terrible floods which were in my country. I would like
to assure you that the Czech Republic is and will remain good friend of
the United States, good ally. I hope that the next step will be done
in the summit of NATO, which will be in Prague, which is for us a big
honor.
I think that now it will be important if NATO will able to identify
itself, to find its new identity in this very changed world. And
especially now, after 11th of September, I think there is a lot of new
kind of evil in this world, and it is necessary to face this evil and
to face all who support it.
Thank you.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you for coming.