ninme

The Beeb has video of the President’s comments made in Riga at a brief press conference (15 minutes). He did a really good job. You might say I’m even proud of him. I’ll look for a transcript, but it’s worth looking at.

Oh and he mentioned the matter of Visa policy. Good.

Ah, transcript:

White House – President, Baltic State Presidents Discuss Strong Relationship – Latvian Society House: Riga, Latvia

PRESIDENT VIKE-FREIBERGA: Thank you for that statement, Mr. President.

We do have a limited time at our disposal, and I understand that the framework is to be one question to each President. So we’ll start with a question to President Adamkus.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Or you have four Presidents to me — questions to me, if that’s what you would like.

PRESIDENT VIKE-FREIBERGA: There’s a question out there.

Q Yes — from Lithuanian Television. Actually, I have a question to President Bush.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes, I thought that might be the case. (Laughter.)

Q Regarding what you said recently, that democratic Belarus is also in Russia’s interest, can there be a deal between Washington and Moscow whereby Russia would make sure that President Lukashenko is not reelected next year, and in return, Washington would encourage, or would hail the democracy there, but turn a blind eye on the continued Russia’s influence there? Or are you prepared to go all the way?

PRESIDENT BUSH: No, that’s an interesting question, can you make a deal to determine somebody else’s fate. I think that’s what we’re lamenting here today, about what happened to the Baltics — you know, kind of one of those secret deals amongst large powers that consigns people to a way of government. No, we don’t make secret deals. The only deal that I think is a necessary deal for people is the deal of freedom. They should be allowed to express themselves in free and open and fair elections in Belarus.

And that’s — and as to whether or not it’s in Russia’s interest that democracies be on her border, absolutely, it’s in Russia’s interest that she have friends and have neighbors who are democracies. We’re used to that in America. We’ve got democracies on our border. And it’s a blessing to have democracies on our border. We don’t always agree, by the way, with our friends on our borders, but we are able to settle disputes peacefully because we are democracies. And so I will continue to speak as clearly as I can to President Putin that it’s in his country’s interests that there be democracies on his borders. I mean, after all, look at the three nations here. These are peaceful, prosperous nations that are good neighbors with Russia, and good neighbors with each other and good neighbors elsewhere, as well.

There’s a taste. All questions did go to him. Good questions, too.