Presidential Radio Address - 26 June 2004

Good morning. This week I'm traveling to the U.S.-EU summit in Ireland, homeland to so many Irish Americans, and one of the fastest growing and modern economies in the European Union. I will also be attending the NATO summit in Turkey, a proud nation that successfully blends a European identity with secular democracy and Islamic traditions.

I will discuss with our European allies our common struggle to defeat the forces of global terror, our common interest in the spread of prosperity and our common efforts to help the people of Iraq secure for themselves a future of freedom.

Next Wednesday, full sovereignty in Iraq will be in the hands of the free Iraqi people. As that day approaches, the enemies of freedom in Iraq are growing ever more desperate. Last Tuesday, a young man from South Korea, Kim Sun-il, was viciously murdered by terrorists. That cold-blooded act demonstrated once again the evil nature of the enemy. Their barbaric violence is designed to destabilize Iraq's new government, intimidate the Iraqi people and shake the will of our coalition. Yet, our will is firm. South Korean President Roh has reaffirmed his determination to send more troops to help rebuild Iraq. Iraq's leaders, in a daily display of courage, refuse to be deterred from their dream of democracy, stability and prosperity for the Iraqi people.

The international community has a responsibility to promote the rise of a free Iraq, and it is meeting that responsibility. Today, the nations of the European Union pledged their support for the new government of Iraq. Next week, at the NATO summit, we will discuss Iraqi Prime Minister Allawi's request for NATO help in training Iraq's security forces. NATO has the capability to help the Iraqi people defeat the terrorist threat facing their country. As Iraq moves toward the transfer of sovereignty next week, NATO, the European Union and the United States are united in our determination to help the people of that nation.

The world's free nations also have a responsibility to advance the blessings of liberty that have lifted our own nations. Earlier this month, the nations of the G8 pledged their energies and resources to working in partnership with the peoples of the broader Middle East to advance human dignity, freedom, democracy, the rule of law and economic opportunity. The United States, the European Union and NATO are looking beyond the borders of Europe to support the momentum of freedom in the broader Middle East.

At these summits, we will seek to strengthen the security of our homelands from the threat of terror. We have taken steps to freeze and block terrorists' finances, make transportation safer and improve information sharing. We will discuss ways to further improve transportation safety and border security. Travel between our nations is the lifeblood of our friendship, our economies and our alliances, and that travel must be safe.

One important way to make the world safer is to make the world better. The United States and Europe share a fundamental interest in the health of the global economy. Our trade and investment relationship is the largest in the world. It creates millions of jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. Open trade has the power to lift nations out of poverty, so we will reaffirm our commitment to free and fair trade, and the removal of obstacles to global economic growth.

We believe that freedom has the power to defeat poverty and hopelessness and ignorance. We believe the advance of freedom makes the world safer for all nations. And we believe that when free nations work together, freedom will always prevail.

Thank you for listening.