PRESIDENT BUSH: It's my honor
to be meeting today with one of America's strongest friends and allies,
and one of Europe's strongest and best leaders. I appreciate
Gerhard Schroeder's openness, his grasp of issues that are important,
not only to Europe, but to the world. I told the press
earlier that we've had a very, very positive dialogue. We
discussed a lot of important issues: how to expand global
trade, as well as how to assume our responsibilities as wealthier
nations to the poor nations in a constructive way.
It's been a very good
experience. And it's also been a positive experience to be
able to again sit down with friends and continue our dialogue from days
gone by.
So, Mr. Chancellor, thank you for being
here.
CHANCELLOR SCHROEDER: Thanks.
PRESIDENT BUSH: I'll be glad to
answer a couple of questions.
Q Mr. President and
Mr. Chancellor, can you both address whether you've reached any kind of
accommodation on global warming and the Kyoto Treaty?
PRESIDENT BUSH: We have reached
an accommodation, and here it is.
Q Can you talk
about it?
PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes, I'd be
glad to. We both agree to reduce greenhouse gases and we
both agree to continue dialogue.
Q On how, the
dialogue on how it goes on?
PRESIDENT
BUSH: Right. And I will explain to the Chancellor
that our nation will come with a strategy. We're in the
process of developing one. But I can't be any more sincere than I have
been in saying that we need to reduce greenhouse gases and we'll work a
plan to do so.
But I've also been very open with the
Chancellor from my very first visit in the Oval Office, that the
methodology in the Kyoto accord is something that would harm our
nation's economy. And, therefore, we're looking for
different alternatives to achieve the same goal.
And I will tell you this, in Sweden,
Chancellor Schroeder was very -- very strong in his statement about
Kyoto and very positive about his position there; on the other hand,
was -- explained to the other leaders that my position, while he didn't
agree with it, was one that he understood. And I appreciated
very much his leadership there.
CHANCELLOR
SCHROEDER: Certainly, the President is very right in just
saying that we do share the same targets here. Both of us
are thinking that it is very important that we do substantially reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. That is very important,
indeed. And we will, obviously, have to get into a very
intensive dialogue about these things. This will have to
happen; some things will have to happen as a consequence of it.
Now, obviously, on the tool of Kyoto, as
such, we do differ when it comes to the assessment
thereof. But, obviously, we have done so in a very open, in
a very friendly matter, dealing with one another in a constructive way,
as friends. And I think friends do deal with these things as
friends, and we certainly do.
Q Do you plan to
make a specific proposal to President Putin tomorrow on a strategic
framework, did you see an outline or something?
PRESIDENT BUSH: I plan to have
a very honest and open dialogue with the President that will continue
our discussions about how to keep the peace. I intend to
share with the German Chancellor the nature of our discussion in the
past and, again, what I intend to talk about tomorrow.
I think it's very important for us to
continue making progress on whether or not we can agree to a new
strategic framework. As well, we will have high-level talks
with others in my administration, with the Russians. It's a very
positive development, I think, for the world.
I can tell you right now that my
relationship with President Putin is better than it was in Slovenia by
virtue of the fact that we're spending more informal time
together. One of the benefits of these meetings is that we
get to see each other at places other than just sitting around round
tables discussing issues. And so at the receptions we've
been able to have some idle chatter -- some of it may be of interest to
you, some of it probably wouldn't be. But, nevertheless,
we're able to continue a dialogue in a very friendly and open way, and
I think that's going to be very important for our ability to work
together -- on a lot of issues, particularly that of a new strategic
framework.
Q But do you see
discussing things like specific numbers or his plan for joint --
PRESIDENT BUSH: I think it's
probably best that I talk to him first. (Laughter.)