President Bush Meets with President Hu of China at the G-8 Summit (VIDEO)

Technorati Tags: G8 and G-8 summit or St. Petersburg Russia and President Hu Jintao, or President Bush and Constantine Palace, or G8 Summit Declaration on Counter Terrorism, and VIDEO, or China, and Junior G8, or Junior 8,

President Bush Meets with President Hu of China at the G-8 Summit, Konstantinovsky Palace Complex, Strelna, Russia, 3:53 P.M. (Local), FULL STREAMING VIDEO, G-8 Summit 2006

President George W. Bush welcomes President Hu Jintao of the People's Republic of China for a meeting at the G8 Summit in Strelna, Russia, Sunday, July 16, 2006.

"The United Nations Security Council unanimously passed a resolution dealing with the North Korean issue, and I want to thank you for your leadership on that, Mr. President," said President Bush. "We're working together on the Iranian issue. We talked about the Middle East. I want to thank you very much for our continued dialogue on bilateral issues. White House photo by Eric Draper.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. President, thank you for coming by to say hello. I remember fondly your visit to Washington, D.C., a very successful trip to our Nation's Capital and other parts of our country. I want to thank you for the discussion we've had today.

The United Nations Security Council unanimously passed a resolution dealing with the North Korean issue, and I want to thank you for your leadership on that, Mr. President. We're working together on the Iranian issue. We talked about the Middle East. I want to thank you very much for our continued dialogue on bilateral issues. We spent a lot of time on economics and trade.

All in all, it's a continuation of the very good dialogue we had during your trip to Washington, and I want to thank you for coming.

PRESIDENT HU: (As translated.) Ladies and gentlemen, I'm very happy to have the opportunity to meet you here. As President Bush said, just now we had a very friendly and candid discussion. To start with the discussion, I expressed my heartfelt thanks to the American side for the warm reception afforded to me during my visit to the United States in April this year by President Bush, the American government and the American people.

In addition, we also had an in-depth discussion on the China-U.S. relationship and major international issues of mutual interest. Both President Bush and I speak highly of the development of China-U.S. relationship as it is today. We also are happy to see that the agreement President Bush and I reached on comprehensively moving forward the constructive and cooperative China-U.S. relationship is being gradually implemented.

We both agreed to continue to view and handle the China-U.S. relationship from a strategic plane, I mean a long-term perspective. In addition, we also agreed to work hard to expand the convergent interests between the two countries and step up our pragmatic cooperation in the economic, trade, energy, science, technology, counter-terrorism, non-proliferation and military fields.

At the same time, we also believe that we need to respect and properly address each other's concerns and properly handle the sensitive issues in the bilateral relationship, so that we can continue to move forward this relationship.

We both believe that against the current backdrop of a complex and volatile international situation, to enhance the consultation and the coordination between China and the United States on major regional, as well as international issues, serves the interests of both countries. This is also crucial to international peace and stability.

Both sides expressed their commitment to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia as a whole, and both sides agreed to continue their efforts to move forward the six-party talks, so that at the end of the day, the entire Korean Peninsula could be denuclearized in peaceful way through dialogue and in negotiations.

Both sides indicated their willingness to work together to continue to seek a peaceful solution to the Iranian nuclear issue. We also discussed the situation in the Middle East.

In this afternoon's discussion, we also spent quite a lot of time in an in-depth manner on our economic ties and trade, and on the Taiwan question.

I am satisfied with the discussion with President Bush. Thank you.

END 4:01 P.M. (Local), For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, July 16, 2006

RELATED: Keywords, President to Welcome, Wednesday, July 05, 2006 President Bush Welcomes President Saakashvili, Thursday, June 29, 2006 President Welcomes Prime Minister Koizumi (VIDEO), Wednesday, June 21, 2006 President Bush to Welcome President Mikheil Saakashvili, Wednesday, June 14, 2006 President Bush Welcomes President Bachelet of Chile (VIDEO), Saturday, June 10, 2006 Bush and Prime Minister Rasmussen of Denmark (VIDEO), Monday, June 05, 2006 President Bush Welcomes President Sassou Nguesso of the Congo , Monday, May 29, 2006 President Bush to Welcome Prime Minister Harper of Canada, Monday, May 29, 2006 President Bush to Welcome President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Monday, May 29, 2006 President Bush to Welcome Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan, Monday, May 29, 2006 President Bush to Welcome President Zelaya of Honduras, Saturday, May 27, 2006 President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair (VIDEO), Friday, May 26, 2006 President Bush and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (VIDEO), Monday, May 15, 2006 President Bush will welcome Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel Saturday, May 06, 2006 President Bush Welcomes President Vázquez of Uruguay (VIDEO), Monday, April 24, 2006 President Bush to Host Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Wednesday, April 12, 2006 President Bush to Welcome German Chancellor Merkel, Wednesday, April 12, 2006 President Bush welcomes Ghana President John A. Kufuor, Wednesday, March 29, 2006 President Bush Welcomes President Obasanjo of Nigeria, Thursday, March 23, 2006 President Welcomes President Sirleaf of Liberia (VIDEO), Friday, March 17, 2006 President Welcomes Irish Prime Minister Ahern (VIDEO), Saturday, February 11, 2006 President Bush Welcomes President of Poland (VIDEO), Friday, February 10, 2006 President Bush Welcomes King Abdullah (VIDEO),

No Payments Required of American Citizens Departing Lebanon

Technorati Tags: Secretary Condoleezza Rice and Lebanon or State Department and Secretary of State, or President Bush and Cyprus, or U.S. Embassy, and Beirut, or Lebanese, and Syria, or EMERGENCY EVACUATION, and No Payments Required, or Foreign Relations Authorization Act,

No Payments Required of American Citizens Departing Lebanon

In this extraordinary case, Secretary Rice has directed the State Department to waive the requirement for American citizens departing Lebanon to reimburse the United States Government for their travel costs. We want to do everything we can to facilitate the departure of American citizens from Lebanon. Today’s step removes one potential worry for our citizens at this difficult time.

2006/695, Press Statement, Sean McCormack, Spokesman, Washington, DC, July 18, 2006, Released on July 18, 2006

Press Briefing Tony Snow 07/18/06 (VIDEO) Q Then let me follow about the evacuations of Americans. Are you comfortable with the pace at which they've proceeded? And we're starting to hear from some Americans in Lebanon that they have not been getting adequate help, and this idea of their paying for their evacuation, all that is -- they have some problems with. What's your sense of it?

A As for the complaint -- and I understand it -- about having to pay actually the same rate you get charged, which is commercial rate plus a dollar -- that is a result of congressional law. It is actually part of the 2003 Foreign Relations Authorization Act. Interestingly, the Department of State had actually asked for some fairly lax guidelines in terms of trying to do this. This is a provision that provides for the evacuation while lives are endanger by war, civil unrest, or natural disaster, and this includes American citizens, employees, dependents and so on. The State Department wanted something like -- they wanted, on a reimbursable basis to the extent feasible. Congress said, no, no, no, we want to get our money out of them -- I'm paraphrasing -- and they strengthened the language to the maximum extent practicable. It's the law. I daresay it's something that is causing heartburn for a number of people, but it is the law, and the State Department has to abide by it. Press Briefing Tony Snow 07/18/06 (VIDEO) FULL TEXT

The Pertinent Laws relating to Mr. Snows statement.

Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 H.R.1646

SEC. 201. EMERGENCY EVACUATION SERVICES.

Section 4(b)(2)(A) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2671(b)(2)(A)) is amended to read as follows:

`(A) the evacuation when their lives are endangered by war, civil unrest, or natural disaster of--

`(i) United States Government employees and their dependents; and

`(ii) private United States citizens or third-country nationals, on a reimbursable basis to the maximum extent practicable, with such reimbursements to be credited to the applicable Department of State appropriation and to remain available until expended, except that no reimbursement under this clause shall be paid that is greater than the amount the person evacuated would have been charged for a reasonable commercial air fare immediately prior to the events giving rise to the evacuation;'.

H.R.1646 Title: To authorize appropriations for the Department of State for fiscal years 2002 and 2003, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Hyde, Henry J. [IL-6] (introduced 4/27/2001) Cosponsors (1) Related Bills: H.CON.RES.483, H.RES.138, H.RES.545, S.1401, S.1803 Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 107-228 [GPO: Text, PDF] House Reports: 107-57; Latest Conference Report: 107-671 (in Congressional Record H6422-6470)

FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 121,

Republican 180 36 3, Democratic 172 35 3, PELOSI, AYE

and more background plus the latest actions:

"State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956" "travel costs"

H.R.5828 Title: To amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to remove the reimbursement requirement for evacuation as a result of war, civil unrest, or natural disaster. Sponsor: Rep Dingell, John D. [MI-15] (introduced 7/18/2006) Cosponsors (None) Latest Major Action: 7/18/2006 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on International Relations.

Related: Keywords H.R. Monday, July 03, 2006 H.R. 5403 Foster Children Act, Friday, June 16, 2006 VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 288 on H.R. 861, Thursday, May 18, 2006 President Signs Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005, Friday, March 24, 2006 President Signs Bill to Strengthen Trade with Ukraine (VIDEO), Friday, February 10, 2006 President Signs S.1932, Deficit Reduction Act (VIDEO), Tuesday, January 03, 2006 President Signs 14 House and Senate Resolutions, Tuesday, October 19, 2004 Provisional Ballots, Early Voting, and 10,000 Lawyers, Monday, December 06, 2004 Bill # H.R.10 intelligence community, Sunday, December 12, 2004 House and Senate Resolutions, Thursday, December 23, 2004 Statement on House and Senate Resolutions, Saturday, January 08, 2005 H.R.241 tax charitable contributions relief tsunami, Tuesday, January 11, 2005 bush H.R. 241 tax deduction tsunami relief, Friday, February 11, 2005 H.R.418 REAL ID Act of 2005, Monday, February 21, 2005 .256 Bankruptcy Reform Bill, Wednesday, March 09, 2005 S.148 United States Boxing Commission, Sunday, March 13, 2005 H.R. 1220 Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-living Adjustment Act of 2005, Wednesday, March 16, 2005 H.R.1268 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, Friday, March 18, 2005 Protection of Incapacitated Persons Act of 2005 H. R. 1332 Friday, March 25, 2005 H.R. 1160, S. 384, Friday, April 01, 2005 Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, Friday, April 01, 2005 H.R. 1270, Friday, April 15, 2005 H.R.1134 Internal Revenue Code of 1986, Thursday, April 21, 2005 H. R. 6 Energy Policy Act of 2005, Tuesday, April 26, 2005 House Floor Report 04/26/05, Thursday, April 28, 2005 H.R.748 Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, Friday, April 29, 2005 H.R. 787