Bush Holds Joint Press Conference with Italy's Prime Minister

Over these years, we have shared difficult historical moments. That tragedy September -- 9-11, to which has changed the world. We have been called upon to tackle difficult challenges being aware of the fact that enemies must be defeated with every means available with the strength of our beliefs and our (inaudible) of ill ideal, the globalized world continues to test us by submitting us to bigger and new challenges that we can't give concrete answers to these challenges.

And once again, it was the fact of being concrete and the efficacy of the actions we agree upon, which is helping us to solve one of the most recent crisis which have affected our countries, that of the financial crisis which we must absolutely prevent from being a crisis affecting real economy as well. Upon indication of the other leaders of the countries which, in Europe, share the single -- the same currency, I reported and briefed President Bush about what we decided yesterday during the summit meeting of the Euro area countries.

This proposal will be, then, submitted to the European council meeting which will be held on Wednesday. And I also informed President Bush that today at 3 o'clock in various countries, Germany, UK, Italy, France, council (inaudible) meeting were held which have concretely implemented through (inaudible) regulations provisions the decisions which were made yesterday in order to support real economy, in order to make it possible for liquidity to be guaranteed to our banking systems so that banks can continue to play -- to play their role and do their job; that is support investments by businesses and companies and support consumption.

I think this is really the objective we must pursue with a coordinated and concerted action, that is, what has been developed over the world in the world of markets which have moved away from reality should not affect the reality of economies. And the concerted and common action between United States and Europe will certainly have chances to make the real economy -- to prevent real economy from being affected by what has happened all over the world in the financial markets.

So we'll continue to work together. President Bush has also expressed the intention to have a meeting among the leaders within the G-8 in the next few weeks. I absolutely agree with him. I think that everything which can be done for a coordinated action just to pursue common method and behave in the same way (inaudible) this is something which is positive.

BERLUSCONI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I would like to close my statement by telling President Bush and expressing my appreciation, my friendship, my congratulations, and my love and esteem. I've been working with him very well. There has never been a moment when I saw in him interests which were not genuine interests. I never saw bias interest. There has never been a moment where I saw in him something different from a very sincere and pure feelings and sentiment. He is a person -- he is a man of vision. He is an idealist. And also, he has the courage of implementing what he believes is right, what he thinks needs to be done to pursue the ideals which he considers to be right for himself, his people, and the world.