Remarks Following Discussions With Amir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah of Kuwait

President Bush. Your Highness, thank you for coming. It's been my honor to welcome you and your delegation here to the Oval Office. I congratulate you for taking on the very important responsibilities of our close friend and ally, Kuwait.

We've had a important strategic dialog about how to work together to promote peace and stability in the Middle East. I thank you for your leadership. I congratulate you for your steady reforms in your country. They have served as a notable example for others in the region. I thank you very much for your steadfast support of our United States military. It means a lot, Your Highness, to know that we can count on your friendship.

I appreciated your advice on a variety of matters. His Highness has got a clear vision about how we can work together strategically as well as commercially. And I want to thank you for that vision. I assured His Highness that I fully understand that the United States has an obligation to work to promote the peace. And we will work to promote the peace with our friends.

And so I welcome you here, sir. It's great to see you again. And I'm honored that you would take time to visit me.

Amir Sabah. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I would like really to express my gratitude on my own behalf and the behalf of the delegation that accompanying me for this kind invitation. We have conducted a very fruitful talk. We have covered several issues, bilateral issues, economic issues related to strengthening the bilateral relation between our two countries. And also, we have discussed some regional matters related with the aim of both of us to achieve stability in the region.

Yes, I do agree that there are differences between points of view from the United States and some of our region. But, nevertheless, I would like also to say that there are differences between ourselves, the region. But the goal is to achieve peace and security, and we have seen in a lot of our positions that we are seeing our—the positions eye to eye. Therefore, I am very grateful for the outcome of this visit.

President Bush. Thank you, sir. Thank you.