MR. JOHNDROE: On the record. MR. HADLEY: This is on the record.
On Monday, President and Mrs. Bush will travel to New York to participate in the United Nations General Assembly. The trip will highlight how the United States has partnered closely with other nations to address global challenges and how we've made some remarkable progress. The trip will also provide an opportunity to highlight how the United Nations can better address existing and emerging challenges. On Monday night, September 22nd, the President and Mrs. Bush will host a reception for other heads of delegation also attending the General Assembly. As you know, this is kind of a traditional event that the President does each year. On Tuesday, September 23rd, President Bush will meet with President Zardari of Pakistan. They are expected to focus on cooperation in combating terrorism, strengthening Pakistan's economy, and fostering democracy in Pakistan. President Bush will also deliver his final speech to the United Nations General Assembly. His speech will highlight the current challenges facing multilateral organizations like the United Nations and how to improve the ability of these organizations to meet these challenges. The President will attend an event on food security, and then the President and Mrs. Bush will host a lunch for political dissidents to discuss how to advance the freedom agenda and how to advance the protection of the rights and dignities of all people. The President will then meet with Secretary General Ban to discuss the full range of challenges facing the United Nations, including U.N. reform, Georgia, Afghanistan, Sudan, Burma, and Zimbabwe. The President will also co-host an Iraq coalition meeting with President Talabani of Iraq, consisting of those countries who participated in the coalition on the ground in Iraq. Both leaders will deliver remarks that will underscore the significance of a more stable and prosperous Iraq for a more hopeful future in the Middle East. And then they will thank the members of the Iraqi coalition for their contribution to achieving that -- progress towards that objective. On Wednesday, September 24th, President Bush will participate in a meeting on free trade with leaders of a number of nations in this hemisphere. The United States has signed free trade agreements with 12 Western Hemisphere nations that represent two-thirds of the region's GDP and one-third of our global bilateral trade. Comprehensive free trade agreements in this hemisphere have contributed significantly to opening economies, reducing poverty, and strengthening democracy. The President will stress the importance of expanding those benefits by securing U.S. congressional approval of the Colombia and Panama free trade agreements. As honorary ambassador of the United Nations Literacy Decade, Mrs. Bush will host the White House Symposium on Advancing Global Literacy: Building a Foundation for Freedom. This will happen on Monday morning, September 22nd, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The symposium will provide a forum to discuss the outcomes of six UNESCO regional literacy conferences that have been held and were inspired by the first White House Conference on Global Literacy in 2006. The symposium will highlight literary programs that can be replicated around the world with the support of local and national governments, civil society, and the private sector, and will renew the international commitment to promoting and sustaining global literacy efforts. They will return on Wednesday to Washington. I'd be glad to take any questions.
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