President Bush, President Kwasniewski Hold Joint Press Conference
Remarks by President Bush and President Kwasniewski of Poland in Press Conference
The East Room
PRESIDENT BUSH: It's an honor to welcome my friend, the President
of Poland, to the White House. Mr. President, welcome.
PRESIDENT KWASNIEWSKI: Thank you very much.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Poland is a close friend and a good ally and an
influential nation in the center of Europe. Poland has influence
across Europe. America and Poland see the world in similar terms. We
both understand the importance of defeating the forces of global
terror. And America appreciates all that Poland is contributing to
this great struggle.
Our nations also understand the importance of building a better
world beyond terror. One where prosperity replaces poverty, and
democracy and tolerance replace dictatorship and hatred. Poland and
the United States are part of the great alliance of liberty, and we're
working to spread the hope of freedom and prosperity across the globe.
We had good talks this morning and I want to highlight two
initiatives we agreed on. First, we agreed to expand cooperation
between our militaries. Both Poland and the United States are seeking
to transform our armed forces and develop new capabilities; we need to
meet the new threats, such as terrorism and weapons of mass
destruction. By sharing ideas and expertise, our militaries can help
each other reach out -- reach our transformation goals faster, and
improve our ability to work together.
We hope this initiative will be a model for similar efforts with
other NATO allies.
Second, our governments agree to cooperate more closely to expand
our economic ties. The Polish-American trade and investment
relationship is important to both countries. And it's particularly
important to creating jobs and high-tech growth opportunities in
Poland. We will work to resolve some company-specific issues, and also
improve Poland's investment climate.
These two initiatives will help build our strong working
relationship.
Tomorrow, the President and I look forward to traveling to Troy,
Michigan. I believe you have to go beyond Washington to truly capture
the energy and diversity of our country. Mr. President, I think you'll
like the trip. Troy is just one of countless communities across our
nation that has been enormously enriched by the contributions and
values of Polish Americans. It will be a great honor for me to travel
to such a community with the President of a free and independent
Poland.
Mr. President.
PRESIDENT KWASNIEWSKI: Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen,
Mr. President, let me once again emphasize how pleased I am to stand
her on the hospitable land, the country that is so close to the Polish
people, where millions of people live here of Polish extraction. I'm
coming as a President of the Republic of Poland to the United States
from the country which may set an example of success for others. And
we know that this success is due to the support of our American
friends.
Today, I am here as the President of democratic, developing Poland,
Poland that is important in its region and whose voice is very
significant, both in Europe and worldwide. I am here as President of
the country which enjoys strategic partnership with the United States,
and friendship which is hundreds of years long and well tested, as well
as enjoys perspectives that we have discussed with President George
Walker Bush for a long time today.
During our conversations, we have discussed combatting terrorism
that has to be brought to the final end. And Poland has been
contributing to this particular combat. And we're sure that under the
leadership of the United States we could eliminate this particular
threat from the world of the 21st century, so that we could build a
future on the basis of the dialogue, the protection of human rights and
mutual tolerance.
Poland, with its soldiers in Afghanistan, is present in NATO, and
Poland is active in exchange of information of intelligence and special
units. We are ready to develop our cooperation along these lines.
We have spoken about NATO; Poland is one of the new members, and we
are convinced that the new summit in Prague will be the day on which
new countries will be invited to become members of NATO who have met
the requirements: Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, our friends from
Slovakia, and our close partners from Bulgaria and Romania and Slovenia
will be welcomed there.
We want a strong NATO, we want NATO to be ready to ensure security
in Europe as well as in the Euro-Atlantic theater, and a NATO that is
going to be ready to respond to threats where the basic values of life,
and ethnic cleansing or acts of terror are taking place.
I've presented to President George Walker Bush an initiative that I
had presented a few days ago in Riga, to develop cooperation with
countries which are in NATO, which will be in NATO, and with those ones
which are going to be outside of NATO -- I'm thinking here of the
Balkan states. And I rejoice in the fact that the initiative of
cooperation has been accepted as interesting by the United States, and
as deserving further development.
We have also spoken of Europe, and Poland wants to become a member
state of the European Union. And we are sure that, at the beginning of
2004, we are going to become a member state. And we think that our
future should be built with very close cooperation with the United
States and Europe. And we want Poland to contribute, with its
potential to global security and to building peace and mutual trust.
On bilateral issues, we have emphasized that we're closing a
particular chapter of transformations that have been taking place in
Poland and in countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Today, we can
say that our partnership has matured, that we're opening a new chapter
where we're going to be treated mutually as fully fledged partners
ready to take actions, both current actions as well as those that are
going to take place in the future.
I am convinced that the United States may draw on the experiences
that Poland has gained in its transformation. We are ready to share
these transformation experiences with other countries. I am also
convinced that we're going to serve very well the military cooperation,
especially in the areas of training, equipment, and the cooperation of
special units with the particular military forces. And transformation
is Poland's specific experience, as I want to emphasize again.
I would also like to say that it's very significant that we have
been creating a very positive climate for European investments.
Americans have so far made an investment of $8 billion U.S., and we
want the climate for further investments to be very good. We would
hope that new American companies will be opening their new headquarters
in Poland, making it possible for them to operate vis a vis other
states of the region.
Let me also emphasize that since the very first moment in
Washington, D.C., we have been feeling the atmosphere of extreme
wishfulness, kindness and hospitable that I wish to extend my words of
gratitude now in this context to President Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush.
We're not only guests here, as we feel, but we're also friends that are
coming from Poland for a visit to the United States.
I'm convinced, too, that this visit will encourage further contacts
and to develop enough contacts at all levels concerning not only
politicians and elites, but also citizens of the two countries,
nongovernmental organizations and various institutions, social
institutions. We want very much the Polish-American relations to get
the new momentum. And free of the challenges that we have had in the
recent decades, they could become the greatest contribution to the
world, to Europe and to Poland and the United States. And thank you
for your attention.
PRESIDENT BUSH: We'll answer some questions. We'll alternate
between the American press and the Polish press, three apiece --
Q Mr. President, even while you're calling for transparency in
corporate America, you refuse to ask the SEC to turn over documents
from its investigation into Harken Energy Corporation, your old
company. And the Vice President has answered few questions about his
role at Halliburton, his old company, which is now under investigation
by the SEC. Why not just clear the air, ask the SEC to release those
documents and ask the Vice President to talk about Halliburton in a
public forum?
PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, first, the Vice President -- I've got
great confidence in the Vice President, doing a heck of a good job.
When I picked him, I knew he was a fine business leader and a fine
experienced man. And he's doing a great job. That matter will take
-- run its course, the Halliburton investigation, and the facts will
come out at some point in time.
Secondly, as to a look at Harken, the SEC, as a result of Freedom
of Information requests, has released documents, and the key document
said there is no case. It was fully investigated by career
investigators. Some of you, I think, have talked to the head career
investigator, and he's made it clear there was no case.
The key thing for the American people is to realize that the
fundamentals for economic vitality and growth are there: low interest
rates, good monetary policy, productivity increases, economic vitality
and growth in the first quarter. And that, as Chairman Greenspan said
yesterday, that we've got to change from a culture of greed to a
culture of responsibility. And I believe that's going to happen.
Congress is working on some legislation. I hope they get it to my
desk before they go home. I think it's important to send a signal to
the American people that reforms have been enacted, laws will be
upheld. But as I said the other day in Alabama, I've got -- I'm an
optimist about the future of this economy. I think that the
ingredients for growth are in place, and that's important to our
friends from Poland because, as he mentioned, we invest and we trade
and the stronger our economy is, the more likely it is we'll have
investment and trade together.
PRESIDENT KWASNIEWSKI: Now it's time for Polish journalists. I
invite -- Polish TV.
Q Polish public television, TVP. The question to both of you.
Regarding the future of the anti-terrorist coalition and possible next
phase of the war against terrorism, do you expect an increase of
Poland's involvement? And do you think that Poland is ready to meet
the expectations?
PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, first, I've been very impressed by Poland's
troops. And we've got confidence in the Polish military. And we want
to continue to train together -- particularly our special forces need
to work together, because the ability to succeed in the war -- the
new war of the 21st century means that we have to move quickly, and
move in a way that is effective and sometimes lethal.
It's interesting you said the "next phase of the war against"
terror. Almost every day is a new phase, in some ways, because we're
reminding different countries which may be susceptible to al Qaeda,
that you're either with us or against us. And so we're constantly
working on bolstering confidence amongst some nations which may
sometimes forget that either you're with us or you're with the
terrorists. That's kind of a -- that's a phase, I guess you could
say. Phase one was Afghanistan, phase two is to make sure that other
countries don't become places for training or places where the al Qaeda
think they can hide.
And we spent a lot of time on that here. I talked to Aleksander a
lot about that today. The Polish government has been very strong about
working with us. The other -- I also told him, of course, that we'd
stay in close consultation. And we will.
PRESIDENT KWASNIEWSKI: I would just constrain myself to say that
we have been part of the coalition from the very beginning, to the
potential that reflects Poland's possibility and capability, such as
our station in Bagram, and there is a Polish logistics unit, and
they're right there. Our intelligence forces have been cooperating
very closely, and we know that the commitment on the part of the
Republic of Poland will be growing with the needs that are going to be
growing.
We have discussed with President George Walker Bush on how to
modernize the Polish armed forces so that they could meet the
challenges of the war against terrorism. And then Secretary Rumsfeld
and Minister Szmajdzinski talked about talks, and they will be
continued. And we hope that the effect will be that the Polish armed
forces will be transformed in such a way so that, as a very serious and
mature partner, they would be able to respond in unison with other
armed forces.
Poland is a member of the anti-terrorist coalition, and has been
very closely cooperating with the United States. And we want to
reconfirm our readiness to continue this combat.
Q Mr. President, do you agree with your Secretary of State's
willingness to consider working with a Palestinian government that has
Yasser Arafat as a figurehead leader, despite your call in June for a
new and different leadership? And if I may follow up on Ron's
question --
PRESIDENT BUSH: You get one question. (Laughter.)
Q If I could follow on Ron's, are you confident the SEC will
find that Vice President Cheney did nothing wrong while at
Halliburton?
PRESIDENT KWASNIEWSKI: His question was --
PRESIDENT BUSH: It happens worldwide.
Yes, I am, to answer your second question. And first, I am
confident as well that we need to put institutions in place so that a
peaceful Palestinian state can emerge. And that ought to be the
primary focus.
The reform of the Palestinian state is a crucial element to
achieving the confidence necessary amongst all parties so that we can
eventually achieve the vision of two states living side by side in
peace. That's really important.
The issue is much bigger than a person, as far as I'm concerned. I
made it clear, I thought. The person you mentioned, Mr. Arafat, has
failed to deliver. I still feel that way. And I know the Palestinian
people will be better served by new leadership.
And so we are -- but my focus of my administration is to work
with leaders from around the world, some of whom were in New York
yesterday, to work to make sure there's a new constitution which
divides power, so that one person doesn't get to decide the fate of a
group of people who have suffered mightily. That there are security
arrangements in place, so that they serve to make the area more secure,
as opposed to security forces all existing -- all of which exist to
keep a person in power. Reforms of financial institutions to make sure
there's full transparency, to make sure that the money that we spend on
humanitarian aid ends up helping Palestinian people, not a few
leaders.
Those institutional changes, Randy, are essential for the evolution
of a state. It's essential that those institutions are developed so
that the people of Palestine get helped. That's essential.
And I do believe we're making progress to this end. It is a --
this is an issue much bigger than a single person. Mr. Arafat would
like the whole issue to be about him. That's the way it's been in the
past. Except when you analyze his record, he has failed the
Palestinian people. He just has. And that's reality.
That's your third second follow-up. (Laughter.) Unbelievably
aggressive today. (Laughter.)
PRESIDENT KWASNIEWSKI: Mr. President, now is Polish turn.
PRESIDENT BUSH: You're in good standing with your colleagues for
that. Break some new ground.
PRESIDENT KWASNIEWSKI: It's a press conference, not interview.
(Laughter.)
PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes.
Q Polish public radio. Mr. President, this is a question
addressed to both Presidents.
PRESIDENT BUSH: An old Fournier trick.
Q There are some differences between Europe and the United
States. Europe seems to be more eager to deal with economy and
political sources of terrorism. United States seems to be more
determined to apply military solutions. European Union and the United
States differ in some important trade issues. What is the differences
present in your today conversation? Poland is going to be a member of
the European Union. Might this membership complicate relations in
between our two countries?
PRESIDENT BUSH: No. That's an easy one. (Laughter.) No, it
won't. Let me make it clear to you, make sure -- if I could kind of
change one of your premises. We use military power, no question about
it, and we'll continue to do it, to hunt these killers down, one by
one. And that's all they are, is killers, cold-blooded killers.
We also understand that in order to make it hard for them to attack
the United States again, or any of our friends, that we must disrupt
their finances. We spend a lot of time on working with our friends to
disrupt finances. And so we have a multifaceted approach to the war
on terror. It's important for you to understand that. We don't
necessarily place one aspect on the war against terror as more
important than the other.
In terms of the -- listen, we've got great friends in Europe.
Poland is a great friend. And the United States fully understands that
we must cooperate together to achieve victory in the war against
terror. That means intelligence sharing and working cooperatively on
finance, making sure our militaries cooperate together. NATO -- a
useful role for NATO, the new role for NATO, is going to be to defend
Europe against terrorist activity.
And therefore NATO needs to change, so that it can do a more
effective job of defeating the enemy. Russia is not the enemy. Russia
is -- you know, the idea of Russian tanks storming across Europe are
no longer the problem. And, therefore, cooperation on chasing down
killers one by one even becomes more focused and more important in many
ways. And that's the nature of our relationship.
So I welcome Poland going into the EU, if that's what the President
and the country think is best.
PRESIDENT KWASNIEWSKI: I wish to say that we have discussed the
subject, and it is true to say that in Europe, Poland has been
criticized as a state that has extremely been -- has been very
pro-American. And for that reason -- I haven't witnessed any
criticism or heard any criticism, for that reason, here in America.
But the issue of whether Europe or America, relations, et cetera,
reminds me of a question that is very often addressed by a child: is
mom or dad better? From the educational point of view, it's a false
question, because under these circumstances that we are now in we're
creating a family based on the same fundamental values, or based on
similar or very similar objectives, and also based on the historical
heritage, for Europe and the United States are quite similar and very
penetrating.
It seems to me that outside of current politics, or different
accents in politics, certainly we could not talk, and we should not
talk, about any conflicts of opinions. Poland wants to become a member
state of the European Union, and that's how we see our political and
economic opportunity. And we hope it's going to be true the first of
January, 2004. And I want to assure that Poland, as a member state of
the European Union, will be doing all it can and will be able to do for
the cooperation between the United States and Poland, and Europe, to be
even better.
I would like to refer to what President George Walker Bush said in
Warsaw last year in June. We have to be building a spirit of Europe,
he said, whole and free, a whole and free Europe. And I believe that
this is a good reply to this question, a good answer on how we should
work together and how a Europe that is going to be in its whole
entirety based on the same values to be the traditional and very close
ally and partner for the United States.
I am convinced that Poland's membership in the European Union will
not only be a problem in relations between Poland and the United
States, but because we are going to get new incentives for development,
this type of cooperation between Poland and the United States will be
greatly welcomed also by the United States.
Q Thank you, Mr. President. The strategy that you announced
yesterday indicated that we're already spending about $100 billion on
homeland security. What have you determined about the costs going
forward? How much is it going to cost us and how much of that total do
you see coming from state and local governments on the one hand, and
from the private sector on the other?
PRESIDENT BUSH: It's going to be hard to quantify how much the
private sector spends. Let's just say they need to spend enough to
work in a cooperative way, and many private sector companies realize
it's in their interests to do so.
The key thing about the national strategy is that we have the
ability to have a Department of Homeland Security that's able to affect
a national strategy by setting priority. And the priority is to
protect our homeland.
Mr. President, we've got agencies who've got many different
functions, and we want the primary function of agencies that have
anything to do with homeland security to be protecting America, because
we still feel like we're under attack.
The key cost issue is the cost of transition toward this new
Department of Homeland Security. And we're confident that if we're
given the management tools necessary, we can affect that in a cost
effective way, that transition in a cost effective way. That's why I
spent some time talking to members of Congress yesterday about giving
us some management flexibility, flexibility in personnel decisions,
flexibility in reorganization decisions. I think that's going to be an
important part of making sure that the cost of transition is a
realistic cost. As a matter of fact, we think we can save money as a
result of overlap.
In terms of how much it costs down the road, that's going to depend
upon how effective we are at defeating the enemy. The best homeland
security is to hunt the enemy down, one by one, and bring them to
justice. That's the best way to secure the homeland. And the more
effective we are at that, the more cost effective it will be at home.
And so the budget we submitted is one we think is important for this
year, and we'll reassess on an annual basis.
Q As you know, Mr. President, the state and local governments
are saying they're at the end of their rope financially, at the moment,
because of the economic downturn. Do you see a substantial burden on
them --
PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, we'll just have to work -- help them work
through their budgets. But remember, the -- we'll just have to see.
They're concerned about budgets in a lot of areas, Medicaid, different
areas. And the -- I believe this economy is going to come back, and
I think it's going to help improve their financial picture when it
does.
Q TVN Polish Network. A question for both of you. Would you
please expand on the subject of the specific role that Poland is going
to play in Central and Eastern Central Europe, especially within the
context of new enhanced relations between the United States and
Russia? What is Poland going to do?
PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, that's a very good question. First of all,
the President talked about the re-initiative that he described. It's
a -- and it's something that caught our imagination and caught our
attention. We thought it was a very interesting set of ideas, and we
want to explore that with him further, which would really put Poland in
a unique role of fostering continued relations with countries which may
or may not be admitted into NATO, for example.
In terms of the Russia-U.S. relationship, it's a strong
relationship. But the -- and it's a relationship which is important,
because it helps Russia think westward. And Poland can be a part of
that, of course. The President has had great visits with President
Putin, and he's talked about the benefits of thinking West.
And the other important part, the most immediate effect, is when
Russia looks West, she sees Poland and realizes there is no threat from
Poland. Poland is a peaceful neighbor. Poland's at peace with all its
neighbors. And that is a very important contribution to the stability
of our relationship.
If we were -- as I was very aggressive in talking about NATO
expansion, if Russia thought that the neighborhood was unsettled, it
might create some issues. But Poland has provided a great source of
stability in the neighborhood, and therefore Russia feels less
threatened. And I think that's an important nuance, as we say, in
foreign policy. I think that's the word, isn't it? "Nuance"?
(Laughter.)
Anyway, but it's been a vital contribution, Mr. President, and I
thank you for that.
PRESIDENT KWASNIEWSKI: Thank you. First, I also wish to say that
some journalists in Poland have been writing that good relations
between the United States of America and Russia mean that the role of
such states as Poland, or such states that joined NATO from Central
Europe, has been decreasing or on a decline. I think that this is not
a very wise thesis or assumption.
But let me emphasize that especially the states of Central and
Eastern Europe, and Russia, want Russia to become a fully democratic
state, a state exercising a very peaceful attitude to all other
nations. So good American-Russian relations are a guarantee for us,
and President George Walker Bush has just mentioned that, that there is
no threat from the Russian Federation, and there will be no threat from
the Russian Federation.
I want to be in the shade of Russia, and not afraid, as opposed to
being a country that is right up front and is afraid of Russia. I
think it's the very vital interest of Poland and other states for
Russia-the United States relations to be very good. And we are very
happy with the Russia-NATO partnership. This is a new quality of
ensuring security in the world, and especially in our region.
Now, secondly, we are extremely happy that the American position is
very, very pro-enlargement of NATO. I think politically, this is a
very significant decision that will result in the further development,
broadening of the security zone in Europe. We are also very happy that
there is a support for the Riga initiative, because it means that
countries which are not going to become members of NATO will also --
could be also -- can be also benefitting from the outcome and from the
results of this success, so they -- we can also be supporting
democracies, emerging democracies in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, in
Macedonia, et cetera and et cetera, something that has been the world's
problem. And I think the Balkan states are going to be an area of
development, economic development and development of security.
I also want to assure you, and President Bush knows about it, that
Poland has been functioning as an exporter of stability. We have been
a unique state because, in the last 10 years, Poland has not changed
its border by a single inch, and all our neighbors have changed. None
of our neighbors have been neighbors of Poland 10 years ago, neither
the east -- Eastern Germany or the German Democratic Republic, neither
the Soviet Union nor any other country. So this is a piece of evidence
that you can export stability. You can be a pretty important factor
contributing to security in Europe, but also in the Euro-Atlantic
dimension.
And, finally, I'd like to say that we talked about the cooperation
with the Ukraine. Let me use this opportunity to say that Ukraine
should play an even more important role in Europe and in the region,
and I am convinced that we should be supporting and favoring all
efforts aimed at furthering development and cooperation with Ukraine
and cooperation with the United States. And I am convinced that,
strategically looking at the future, we should not be in the position
not to see the 50 million state located right in the heart of the
European continent.
So, speaking in brief words, we have made a review of politics in
the area and perspectives are good. But I think they should be
utilized in the best possible ways. And in that sense, the
Polish-American cooperation is very, very important.