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 Home > News & Policies > June 2006

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 5, 2006

President Bush Welcomes President Zelaya of Honduras to the White House
The Oval Office

     Fact sheet In Focus: Global Diplomacy

11:51 A.M. EDT

PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. President, welcome. It's good to have you here. We've had a very good discussion, as you would expect amongst friends. We discussed our common interests, and one of our common interests is expanded commercial opportunity. And CAFTA gives us a chance to realize those opportunities. We talked about our common desire to make sure the democracies in the region are strong.

President George W. Bush welcomes President Manuel Zelaya and First Lady of Honduras, Xiomora Zelaya, to the Oval Office Monday, June 5, 2006. "We've had a very good discussion, as you would expect amongst friends," said President Bush. "We discussed our common interests, and one of our common interests is expanded commercial opportunity. And CAFTA gives us a chance to realize those opportunities. We talked about our common desire to make sure the democracies in the region are strong." White House photo by Eric Draper We talked about the immigration issue. The President is very concerned about the immigration issue. I assured him that my administration supports a comprehensive immigration bill that treats people with respect, and at the same time upholds our laws. And over lunch, I will give him our strategy to continue to press for a comprehensive bill that will enforce our borders but allow people to come to our country in a legal way to work on a temporary basis.

So, Mr. President, thank you. The people of America respect your country and appreciate our close ties. And we're sure glad you're here.

PRESIDENT ZELAYA: Thank you. (As translated.) I have expressed my appreciation to the President. I'd like to reiterate my thanks to him for the frankness with which he has spoken about the solutions to the common problems we face in the Western Hemisphere.

And we come to this meeting with President Bush with great enthusiasm. And in coming here, we have asked for God's blessing so that this is a meeting that will truly strengthen the fraternal ties that join us in trying to achieve peace in our day.

I thank you very much, Mr. Bush. Your trust makes both of our nations strong.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, sir. Thank you all.

END 11:55 A.M. EDT