Remarks Prior to Discussions With President Vaclav Havel of the Czech Republic

President Bush. Mr. President, welcome to the Oval Office. Are you going to interpret? 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 human 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.