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Bush Meets With Greek Prime Minister

Aired January 10, 2002 - 15:26   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: What we've got here is we are just now getting some fresh videotape in from a meeting President Bush had today with the Greek prime minister Costas Simitis. They were meeting just a while ago and we just getting word this tape is available, and once we get it, we want to give it to you, so here it is.

COSTAS SIMITIS, GREEK PRIME MINISTER: ... We have the Olympic Games in 2004.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes, looking forward to it.

SIMITIS: And we want to invite you. And I brought with me a blue shirt...

BUSH: Thank you so much.

SIMITIS: It is Athens 2004. You can come and run with me.

(LAUGHTER)

BUSH: I don't think I can make the team, but on the other hand, I'd like to -- well, thank you, Mr. Prime Minister.

Listen, we're so honored you're here. Thank you so much for coming to America.

There's a huge number of Greek-Americans who live in our country, who still got great fondness for their -- for your country.

I am most appreciative, sir, of your strong stand against terror. You have been a friend in our mutual concerns about routing out terror around the world, and I want to thank you for that very much.

I'm also very appreciative of your administration's working with Turkey. Relations have improved with Turkey. And as a result, the world is better off. And I want to thank you for your vision, for your foreign ministry's hard work to do what is right for the world to make the world more peaceful.

We've got a lot in common with your country. We've got a lot of interests in common. I look forward to discussing those with you.

And I also look forward to the Olympics. Thank you for your invitation. It's going to be a magnificent moment for the sporting world to have the Olympics return to Athens. I'm confident your country will do a fine job.

So welcome to the White House. We're so glad you're here.

SIMITIS: Thank you very much, Mr. President.

I'm so very glad to be here, and have the possibility to discuss with you the problems or subjects that are interesting for us, sir. We are totally committed to the fight against international terrorism. And, as you know, we take part in the Afghanistan effort. We will be part in the international peace corps in Afghanistan.

And I think it's necessary to cooperate in order to fight terrorism all over the world, because there are also, for example, in the Balkans, terrorist groups, sir, in all the Balkan countries. And we think that this must be controlled.

I thank you also for your appreciation for our effort concerning the Greek-Turkish relations. And we want more peace and stability in the region and (inaudible) how apply international laws (inaudible) friends of the new Europe (ph). This means a big bump I would say for Europe, because the whole environment will change. There will be a new feeling about the possibility of Europe, and there will be new discussions on the new European structures, on the necessity of new cooperation, and also the necessity and hoped for closer cooperation with the United States in order to solve the common problems.

So this is a new era, and I'm very glad to be here beginning of the new year.

BUSH: Well, thank you, sir.

SIMITIS: Thank you, Mr. President.

BUSH: You're welcome.

Thank you all.

HARRIS: And as we said, that was a meeting with President Bush. That was President Bush and the Greek prime minister having some words for the public there after their meeting. And we will continue to keep our eye on what happens there in the White House.

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