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CNN Live Saturday

Bush, Koizumi Have First Face-To-Face Meeting

Aired June 30, 2001 - 17:06   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.
STEPHEN FRAZIER: For his part, President Bush is spending the weekend at Camp David in Maryland. Earlier the president played host to Japan's recently elected Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. During their brief meeting the two discussed economic ties, trade, the environment, even baseball. Details now from CNN White House correspondent Kelly Wallace.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice-over): Billed as a chance for the two men to get to know one another, President Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi left their ties at home for their first face-to-face meeting. And the way they tell it, they got along fabulously.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But you don't really realize how dynamic he is until you have a chance to witness his conversation.

WALLACE: Mr. Koizumi returned the compliment.

JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER JUNICHIRO KOIZUMI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): It was a wonderful meeting. And I believe we were able to establish a relationship of trust with a heart to heart meeting.

WALLACE: Mr. Bush gave the prime minister a leather jacket, a baseball, and something else he came looking for. A ringing endorsement of his plan to fix Japan's ailing economy even if that plan could mean slow growth in the short-term and could have a negative impact on the already sagging economy in the United States.

BUSH: I have no reservations about the economic reform agenda that the prime minister is advancing.

WALLACE: Still there are issues where the two leaders don't see eye to eye. Mr. Bush refuses to support the international treaty negotiated in Japan to reduce global warming. But the prime minister seemed to focus on the positive, saying he was not disappointed, pledging the two countries would begin working together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER JUNICHIRO KOIZUMI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): At the very last moment, I will work with the United States in cooperating with environmental issues.

WALLACE: The president did not get full endorsement of his plan for a missile defense system, but he did get the Japanese leader's agreement on the need to work together to deal with new threats.

(on camera): In this meeting both men seemed to give the other something he needed. Mr. Bush's endorsement of Koizumi's economic plan should help the Japanese leader at home. And the prime minister's softening of criticism of the president's position on global warming could help the U.S. leader with European allies already angry with Mr. Bush when it comes to the environment.

Kelly Wallace CNN, Smithsburg, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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