pd09jn03 Remarks at a Multilateral Meeting With Arab Leaders in Sharm el-Sheikh,...

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    The President. Well, first of all, Russia is a fantastic country 
with a great history. And I'm learning--I'm understanding the Russian 
mentality a little better. I will certainly not be an expert. I 
fortunately do have experts on my staff, starting with Condoleezza Rice, 
who has lived in Russia, studied Russia, understands Russia well.
    My main focus has been to deal with Vladimir Putin leader to leader. 
Because I firmly believe that if we can establish trust between each 
other, then we can see to it that others

[[Page 699]]

in our administration begin to trust each other more. And trust is an 
important concept.
    I never forget my first question I was asked, after having met 
Vladimir Putin in Slovenia, was from an enterprising U.S. reporter. He 
said, ``Do you trust Vladimir Putin?'' And I, without hesitating, said, 
``Yes.'' And he said, ``How do you know?'' I said, ``I looked in his 
eyes and saw his soul.''
    We had just come from a very long conversation where we talked about 
family matters and we talked about our own personal lives. And I found 
in Vladimir a very genuine person, somebody with whom I could place my 
trust. And that doesn't mean we agree on every issue, don't get me 
wrong. But it does mean that we have the platform necessary to have 
good, positive relations so we can move our relations throughout our 
Government forward.
    Q. Mr. President, thank you so much, indeed. Have a nice trip to 
Russia.
    The President. I'm looking forward to it.

Note: The interview was taped at 2:36 p.m. on May 29 in the Library at 
the White House for later broadcast and was embargoed for release by the 
Office of the Press Secretary until 1:30 p.m., May 31. In his remarks, 
the President referred to former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; and 
President Vladimir Putin of Russia. A tape was not available for 
verification of the content of this interview.


<DOC>
[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents]
 [frwais.access.gpo.gov]
                         

[Page 699-700]
 
Monday, June 9, 2003
 
Volume 39--Number 23
Pages 697-735
 
Week Ending Friday, June 6, 2003
 
Proclamation 7683--National Child's Day, 2003

May 30, 2003

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    On National Child's Day, we celebrate the future of our Nation and 
the promise of America's youth. As a Nation, as parents, and as 
community members, we have a responsibility to build a secure and 
nurturing society so that our children have the opportunity to grow, 
learn, work, and succeed.
    Creating an environment that instills important values, builds 
strong character, and provides sound education for our children is a 
vital national priority. With a firm foundation, children will be better 
able to face the challenges of the future.
    Parents are a child's first teachers, and they can be the most 
effective instructors. One of the most helpful activities parents can do 
with their children is read with them. Children who develop a love for 
reading expand their imaginations and cultivate a thirst for learning 
that lasts a lifetime. By talking, listening, and reading to our 
children, we can help them build the confidence they need to succeed in 
life. Parents' role as educators becomes even more important as schools 
across the country prepare for summer recess. Summertime is not only a 
time for children to relax and play, it is also a time for parents to 
strengthen their ties to their children by spending time with them and 
helping them to broaden their experiences.
    To expand on the important work that parents do, my Administration 
has taken significant steps to help give our children greater 
opportunities to learn. By improving our education system and 
encouraging early reading and language skills, we give our children the 
tools they will need to succeed in the world they will inherit from us. 
Children also benefit from the immeasurable care and support of their 
teachers, and are inspired by the model they set.
    Outside the home and the classroom, there are many adults who touch 
children's lives. Family, mentors, neighbors, and friends can help mold 
America's next generation through their positive examples, showing 
children how to help those in need and encouraging them to set high 
standards for themselves. To help instill the value of volunteer 
service, the USA Freedom Corps, through the Students in Service to 
America initiative, is helping to create ways for young people to give 
back to their communities. By using their time, talents, and compassion 
to make a difference in the lives of others, America's children are 
learning to become responsible and engaged leaders in our democratic 
society.
    On this special day, we celebrate the possibility of every boy and 
girl in America. In their faces, we see the hope of our Nation. America 
is dedicated to their welfare and the full development of their 
potential.
    Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United States of 
America,

[[Page 700]]

by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of 
the United States, do hereby proclaim June 1, 2003, as National Child's 
Day. I urge parents to spend more time with their children, read to 
them, listen to their concerns, offer guidance and love, and encourage 
their dreams. I also urge all Americans to set a positive example for 
our children and to assist parents in setting them on the path to 
success. And I call upon citizens to observe this day with appropriate 
programs, ceremonies, and activities.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day 
of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
seventh.
                                                George W. Bush

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., June 3, 2003]

Note: This proclamation was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on May 31, and it was published in the Federal Register on 
June 4.


<DOC>
[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents]
 [frwais.access.gpo.gov]
                         

[Page 700]
 
Monday, June 9, 2003
 
Volume 39--Number 23
Pages 697-735
 
Week Ending Friday, June 6, 2003
 
Remarks to Journalists Following a Tour of the World War II Nazi 
Concentration Camp in Auschwitz, Poland

May 31, 2003

    Laura and I have just toured Auschwitz I, and what they call 
Auschwitz II, a place where millions were murdered. The sites are a 
sobering reminder that--of the power of evil and the need for people to 
resist evil. This site is a sobering reminder that when we find anti-
Semitism, whether it be in Europe or anywhere else, mankind must come 
together to fight such dark impulses.
    And this site is also a strong reminder that the civilized world 
must never forget what took place on this site.
    May God bless the victims and the families of the victims, and may 
we always remember.
    Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at approximately 9 a.m. A tape was not 
available for verification of the content of these remarks.


<DOC>
[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents]
 [frwais.access.gpo.gov]
                         

[Page 700-703]
 
Monday, June 9, 2003
 
Volume 39--Number 23
Pages 697-735
 
Week Ending Friday, June 6, 2003
 
Remarks to the People of Poland in Krakow, Poland

May 31, 2003

    My friend, Mr. President, it's really good to be with you again and, 
of course, the First Lady. Mr. Prime Minister, Your Eminence, 
distinguished guests, citizens of Poland. I'm honored to be in the city 
of Krakow, where so many landmarks give witness to Poland's history and 
Poland's faith.
    From this castle, Polish kings ruled for centuries in a tradition of 
tolerance. Below this hill lies the market square where Kosciuszko swore 
loyalty to the first democratic constitution of Europe. And at Wawel 
Cathedral in 1978, a Polish cardinal began his journey to a conclave in 
Rome and entered history as Pope John Paul II, one of the greatest moral 
leaders of our time.
    In all the tests and hardship Poland has known, the soul of the 
Polish people has always been strong. Mrs. Bush and I are pleased to 
make our second visit to this beautiful country, and we bring with us 
the friendship and the good wishes of the American people.
    In Warsaw 2 years ago, I affirmed the commitment of my country to a 
united Europe, bound to America by close ties of history, of commerce, 
and of friendship. I said that Europe must finally overturn the bitter 
legacy of Yalta and remove the false boundaries and spheres of influence 
that divided this continent for too long.
    We have acted on this commitment. Poland, the United States, and our 
Allies have agreed to extend NATO eastward and southward, bringing the 
peace and security of our Alliance to the young democracies of Europe.
    As the Atlantic Alliance has expanded, it has also been tested. 
America and European countries have been called to confront the threat 
of global terror. Each nation has faced difficult decisions about the 
use of military force to keep the peace. We have seen unity and common 
purpose. We have also seen debate, some of it healthy, some of it 
divisive.
    I have come to Krakow to state the intentions of my country. The 
United States is committed to a strong Atlantic Alliance to

[[Page 701]]

ensure our security, to advance human freedom, and to keep peace in the 
world. Poland struggled for decades to gain freedom and to fully 
participate in life in Europe, and soon you will be a member of the 
European Union.
    You also struggled to become a full member of the Atlantic Alliance, 
yet you have not come all this way, through occupations and tyranny and 
brave uprisings, only to be told that you must now choose between Europe 
and America. Poland is a good citizen of Europe and Poland is a close 
friend of America, and there is no conflict between the two.
    America owes our moral heritage of democracy and tolerance and 
freedom to Europe. We have sacrificed for those ideals together, in the 
great struggles of the past. In the Second World War, the forces of 
freedom came together to defeat nazism. In the cold war, our 
transatlantic Alliance opposed imperial communism. And today, our 
alliance of freedom faces a new enemy, a lethal combination of terrorist 
groups, outlaw states seeking weapons of mass destruction, and an 
ideology of power and domination that targets the innocent and justifies 
any crime.
    This is a time for all of us to unite in the defense of liberty and 
to step up to the shared duties of free nations. This is no time to stir 
up divisions in a great Alliance.
    For America, our resolve to fight terror was firmly set on a single 
day of violence and sorrow. The attacks of September the 11th, 2001, 
changed my country. On that morning, the American people saw the hatred 
of our enemies and the future of grief they intend for us. The American 
Government accepted a mission to strike and defeat the terror network 
and to hold accountable all who harbor it and all who support it.
    For my country, the events of September the 11th were as decisive as 
the attack on Pearl Harbor and the treachery of another September, in 
1939. And the lesson of all those events is the same: Aggression and 
evil intent must not be ignored or appeased; they must be opposed early 
and decisively.
    We are striving for a world in which men and women can live in 
freedom and peace, instead of fear and chaos. And every civilized nation 
has a stake in the outcome. By waging this fight together, we will speed 
the day of final victory.
    One of the main fronts in this war is right here in Europe, where Al 
Qaida used the cities as staging areas for their attacks. Europe's 
capable police forces and intelligence services are playing essential 
roles in hunting the terrorists. And Poland has led the effort to 
increase antiterror cooperation amongst Central and Eastern European 
nations. And America is grateful.
    Some challenges of terrorism, however, cannot be met with law 
enforcement alone. They must be met with direct military action. The 
Taliban regime in Afghanistan chose to support and harbor Al Qaida 
terrorists, and so that regime is no more. The dictator in Iraq pursued 
weapons of mass murder, cultivated ties to terror, and defied the 
demands of the United Nations, so his regime has been ended.
    In the battles of Afghanistan and Iraq, Polish forces served with 
skill and honor. America will not forget that Poland rose to the moment. 
Again you have lived out the words of the Polish motto: ``For your 
freedom and ours.''
    In order to win the war on terror, our Alliances must be strong. 
Poland and America are proud members of NATO, and NATO must be prepared 
to meet the challenges of our time. This is a matter of capability and a 
matter of will. Our common security requires European Governments to 
invest in modern military capabilities, so our forces can move quickly 
with a precision that can strike the guilty and spare the innocent. NATO 
must show resolve and foresight to act beyond Europe, and it has begun 
to do so. NATO has agreed to lead security forces in Afghanistan and to 
support our Polish Allies in Iraq. A strong NATO Alliance, with a broad 
vision of its role, will serve our security and the cause of peace.
    The greatest threat to peace is the spread of nuclear, chemical, and 
biological weapons. And we must work together to stop proliferation. The 
countries of the G-8 committed last year to aiding Russia and others in 
securing and eliminating deadly weapons that remain from the Soviet era. 
I welcome Poland's decision to join this effort. And I call on America's 
G-8 partners to follow through on

[[Page 702]]

their financial commitments so that we can stop proliferation at one of 
its sources.
    When weapons of mass destruction or their components are in transit, 
we must have the means and authority to seize them. So today I announce 
a new effort to fight proliferation called the Proliferation Security 
Initiative. The United States and a number of our close allies, 
including Poland, have begun working on new agreements to search planes 
and ships carrying suspect cargo and to seize illegal weapons or missile 
technologies. Over time, we will extend this partnership as broadly as 
possible to keep the world's most destructive weapons away from our 
shores and out of the hands of our common enemies.
    In the last 20 months, the world has seen the determination of my 
country and many others to fight terror. Yet, armed force is always the 

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