Contact: White House, Office of the Press Secretary, 202-456-2580
10:38 A.M. (Local)
PRESIDENT KUFUOR: Mr. President, I believe we agreed to expose ourselves to the ladies and gentlemen of the media. (Laughter.) And so we are ready for your questions.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Let me have a -- you want me to say something initially, Mr. President?
PRESIDENT KUFUOR: Well, you may, Mr. President.
PRESIDENT BUSH: See, he doesn't want to hear what I said upstairs again. But I do want to say a couple of comments. First of all, thank you very much for your warm hospitality. I am really happy to be in
Upstairs we talked about the Millennium Challenge Account. It is a sizeable sum of taxpayers' money, aimed at helping you achieve your objectives, because your government, led by you, is one that fights corruption and invests in its children, invests in the health of its citizens.
I'm oftentimes asked, what difference does it make to
We spent time talking about trade, and I'm looking forward to meeting some of your businesses today, Mr. President. I believe firmly in fair trade, and I'm a strong supporter of AGOA. My predecessor put it in office; I worked to get it reauthorized. It's an important part of your development. Your businesspeople are making decisions. Your businesspeople are employing people in your country. And your businesspeople should have access to markets.
I do want to announce today that -- I am announcing a new initiative dealing with disease, and that is, our plan is to make it available a total of $350 million over five years, to target what they call Neglected Tropical Diseases, such as hookworm or river blindness. This is all part of our initiative -- whether it be on HIV/AIDS or malaria, to help save lives. And so, Mr. President, we're looking forward to working with you to help save lives and to bring hope to families.
I want to also announce today that we're going to devote nearly $17 million this year to help you on fighting malaria. I firmly believe your government will do a fine job in getting mosquito nets and -- to your people and medicines to your people. And so we're looking forward to helping you.
I also want to thank you for your leadership, Mr. President. As I said upstairs, I don't think a lot of people in
I know there's a controversial subject brewing around that's not very well understood, and that's why would
Secondly, we do not contemplate adding new bases. In other words, the purpose of this is not to add military bases. I know there's rumors in
Now, Mr. President, I appreciate you giving me time to address this issue. I want to dispel the notion that all of a sudden
And finally, he said we're both leaving office together. That's true. But we're going to leave strong, with our heads held high, and we're going to sprint to the finish, aren't we Mr. President?
PRESIDENT KUFOUR: Indeed. Thank you. (Applause.)
PRESIDENT BUSH: Good, thank you. Questions?
PRESIDENT KUFOUR: Thank you, Mr. President. Well, may I just compliment what the President has just said. I am happy, one, for the President dispelling any notion that the
Two, I should thank the President for the initiative he's just announced of creating a fund to fight the neglected diseases on the continent. My government, for example, and I would say that for perhaps all African governments, is committed to fighting these diseases, but on a very shoestring budget, so that if our friends internationally would come out and launch initiatives like this to support us fight these diseases, then I will say, welcome and thank you for that initiative.
Then the $17 million you are extending to my government to help in the fight against malaria. Just this morning I saw in one of our papers that malaria, which perhaps kills more of us than even HIV/AIDS in
PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes, sir. Thank you.
PRESIDENT KUFUOR: Thank you. I believe we'll --
PRESIDENT BUSH: Want to answer a few questions?
PRESIDENT KUFUOR: Yes, we can take questions.
PRESIDENT BUSH: All right, good. Why don't you call on somebody in your press.
PRESIDENT KUFUOR: Please. Now you identify yourself. Whoever is going to speak should identify themselves and the papers or radio stations, television stations they are working for.
Q Good morning, your Excellencies, President Kufuor and President Bush. Thank you for taking my questions. First, a little bias, first to President Kufuor. I would like to know, fighting HIV/AIDS and malaria is the focus of this visit, but can you tell us in what other concrete terms this visit will benefit the economy of
And then to President Bush, we know that your support for the fight against HIV/AIDS has been driven by promoting sexual abstinence and fidelity to each other's partner. In African societies, we know that this doesn't really strike a chord because multiple sexual relationships or partner relationships is the reality, though it's not spoken of in public. So how realistic an approach would you want to be adopted in fighting HIV/AIDS within this particular context? Thank you.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes, thanks.
PRESIDENT KUFUOR: I answer first. The fight against HIV and malaria is not time-bound, I'm sure you would agree with me. The malaria, for instance, was with us from perhaps time immemorial, and it's still with us. Fortunately we happen to be living in science and technology times, and solutions are being found quickly to pandemics. So within my time, I am happy the President of the
So I welcome that. And this money I hope will be put to the best uses in terms of engaging the best scientific and technological means to tackle this disease. The research is still ongoing. Nobody is announcing a find yet. But we shouldn't give up. And within my time, I'm happy this help is coming to infuse the efforts we are already making, so that the researchers will continue, and long after me, perhaps, some clever person, scientist, may come out with a solution. This is how I want to look at this. I do not give a time bound to the solution that we seek.
PRESIDENT BUSH: First of all, obviously the status quo is not acceptable. One of the reasons that I was motivated to put forth a significant request to our Congress for a comprehensive program to deal with HIV/AIDS is I felt it was unacceptable to stand by and watch a generation of people, a generation of folks be eradicated.
And so I understand customs and norms, but it seems like to me that if you really want to solve the problem, step one is to have a comprehensive prevention program. And you mentioned abstinence -- no question, that's a part of the program, or be faithful. But also, I just want to remind you, there's a third part called condoms. So we have an ABC program that is a comprehensive part of the strategy.
And it's working.
Secondly, part of our strategy is to dispense antiretroviral drugs. When I first became President, 50,000 people were receiving ARVs. Today over 1.2 million are. As I said to our country, this is good. These are measurable results, and it's a good start, but it's only a start. And that's why, as the President mentioned, I've asked for Congress to double our budget on HIV/AIDS to $30 billion over five years.
And finally, part of the strategy is to take care of the orphans who have been left behind. Now, I don't believe that sometimes bureaucracies are all that effective. So part of our strategies is to trust the local leadership to devise strategies that best suits their country. And the other part of the strategy is to empower these compassionate folks who want to help, whether they be faith-based or otherwise.
And so to answer your question, Ma'am, I monitor the results. And if it looks like it's not working, then we'll change. But thus far I can report, at least to our citizens, that the program has been unbelievably effective. And we're going to stay at it. And the purpose of this trip is to remind the American taxpayers that it's in their interest to help save lives on the continent of
Ben Feller, Associated --
PRESIDENT KUFUOR: May I just add, Mr. President --
PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes, sure.
PRESIDENT KUFUOR: -- to what you said. Unless we are challenging the statistic given by the States Commission of Ghana, the very reputable establishment, the prevalence rate dropped from 2006, when it was 2.6 percent, to 2.2 percent in 2007. I believe that's considerable. And perhaps some of the credit should be given to the extension of help in terms of resources, including the antiretroviral drugs that we got from development partners like the
So even as we agree to perhaps a bit of looseness in our ways, we must also admit that whatever input we are making, are contributing towards enabling us contain the menace -- I believe I should add that. From 2.6 percent prevalence rate of HIV in 2007, we got 2.2 percent, a reduction of prevalence in 2006; I believe we should acknowledge that.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Alright. Ben Feller, Associated Press. I will identify him for you, Mr. President.
PRESIDENT KUFUOR: Thank you.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Ben Feller. (Laughter.)
Q Thank you for covering that, Mr. President.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes. I was afraid you couldn't handle it.
Q Thank you. President Bush, I would like to ask you about
President Kufuor, I would like to ask you, President Bush has made a point on this trip of saying that helping Africa is in
PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes. I might try to help you out on the last question.
There was a victory for the people of
And so I'm -- I appreciate the fact that President Musharraf has done exactly that which he said he was going to do. He said he'd hold elections, he said he would get rid of his emergency law. And so it's now time for the newly elected folks to show up and form their government, and the question then is, will they be friends of the
We view
PRESIDENT KUFUOR: Thank you, and whether American interests coincides with African interests, I would say yes. Yes. One should ask what the whole idea of the
Two, we are all moving into a global village, and problems overspill easily, especially with the free movements of people and trade, so that if the United States should lock itself into isolationism and think they are safer there, then I would say perhaps they don't know what is coming, because global village is a reality. Migration cannot be stopped, and if you do not help, then the vibrant youth of
So I believe it's enlightenment for the
Q Good morning, Your Excellencies. My question is to President Bush. Looking at
PRESIDENT BUSH: Thanks. I actually went to
And there's no better way of making that point than to be in
Secondly, first of all,
In other words, conflict resolution has been taking place. And the United States hasn't tried to impose a will, we've just tried to be a useful partner, like in Eastern Congo, for example, working with the Presidents of Rwanda and Congo and Burundi.
Secondly, democracy is making progress across the continent of
And thirdly, our aid program has changed from one that basically said, here's your money, good luck, to one that said, in return for generosity, we expect there to be certain habits in place, like fighting corruption, or investing in the education of children. I don't think that's too much to ask in return for
Let's see here. John McKinnon. He would be from your Wall Street Journal. Yes, that's a sophisticated paper, no question about that.
Q Thanks for that plug.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes. I didn't say sophisticated reporter, I said sophisticated paper. But -- and a sophisticated reporter, as well. Yes, Johnny.
Q Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to ask both you leaders about the increasing role of
PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, I might let John start. He's, after all, been engaged with leaders. I have an opinion, but we'll let him start.
PRESIDENT KUFUOR: I believe we should all agree for starters that the world is opening up and opening up fast. Values are becoming uniform, and the -- our multinational efforts agenda, openness and competitiveness, and all inclusiveness. Now
And I can assure you our nations are not succumbing to dictates and impositions, not from
PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes.
PRESIDENT KUFUOR: We want peace around the world. How do we have peace if we do not engage each other peacefully in trade, in common dialogue and in other respects? So this is
So whatever friendships we are engaging in now, we try as hard as possible to turn our new partners around. We try to see if we are engaging on our best terms so we maximize returns for us. Of course, we also care about our partners feeling that they haven't come in here to be short changed. There should be mutual advantage to all of us, and this is how we are engaging with
Human rights, well, this would call for knowledge of what obtains in
So our views are becoming the same. People are beginning to speak for themselves everywhere and standing for their rights. I believe even in
PRESIDENT BUSH: I don't view Africa as zero-sum for
I view -- first of all, I just will tell you that our policy is aimed at helping people. Trade helps people. I mean, one reason I'm committed to trying to get the Doha Round complete is because the benefits of trade will far exceed moneys given. I believe that it's in our nation's interests -- like, I noticed on the seal of the country it says, freedom and justice. There's nothing that promotes justice more than good education.
Now, I do think that it's in the leaders' interests to have some high standards, like, for example, I presume that countries are saying that if you bring your capital, make sure that you employ African workers. I know some of the leaders I've talked to have said that one of the things we're going to do is make sure that our environment is protected, our trees are protected, that we're not going to allow ourselves to become exploited; and that we in fact, want to have relations with different countries, including China, but there is -- there will be some high standards. And that's the way it should be: high standards for every country. And the
And so one thing that I hope that we're getting, that we all can do better, is to encourage value-added processing. And one of the things that has been lacking in Africa's past is for the people to really truly realize the benefits of the resources at home because those resources are just dug out of the ground or grown and just shipped overseas, when in fact, if there could be facilities that take advantage of those resources, it will create more employment for people. And I know that John is concerned about that.
And my only point is there ought to be -- you know, these countries ought to set standards and expect countries to live by them. And there's plenty of leaders who are willing to do that.
Anyway, thank you very much, Mr. President. It's been a joyful experience here in the press conference.
PRESIDENT KUFUOR: Thank you, Mr. President, for coming.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT KUFUOR: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.
END 11:12 A.M. (Local)