(5 Jan 2007)
1. Wide shot of US President George W. Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel walking into room from news conference
2. SOUNDBITE (English) George W. Bush, United States President:
"Madam Chancellor had a good idea to convene the Quartet, which I agree to. I think the Quartet ought to meet at an appropriate time. Condoleezza Rice will be going to the Middle East shortly, she'll come back to report to not only to me, but also the chancellor about how we can move the process forward. We are strongly committed to a two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace, two democracies supporting each other's rights to exist. I'm optimistic that we can achieve that objective, I'm looking forward to working with the chancellor to do so."
3. SOUNDBITE (German) Angela Merkel, German Chancellor:
"And the G8 presidency and the fact that this trip here to Washington happened today is certainly not a matter of coincidence, but it is clearly an expression of the fact that we share values, that there are a lot of common interests between our two countries and that there is also a lot of need for enhanced cooperation between the European Union and the United States of America. We clearly are in need of that cooperation in order to make further progress in solving the problems besetting the world of today."
4. SOUNDBITE (English) George W. Bush, United States President:
"I assured the chancellor that I am committed to promoting new technologies that will promote energy efficiency and at the same time do a better job of protecting the world's environment. I believe there is a chance now to put behind us the old stale debates of the past and focus on technological developments that will enable us to be good stewards of the environment and at the same time enable us to become less dependent on oil and hydrocarbons from parts of the world that may not like us."
5. SOUNDBITE (German) Angela Merkel, German Chancellor:
"The Quartet actually has its work cut out for it looking at the Middle East conflict first and foremost. It needs to be spelt out clearly what one actually wants to achieve. The players in the region need to have the necessary willingness to bring about a solution, they can be supported by the Quartet and international unified opinion can be set out through the Quartet, but I think the main task really is to push matters along, to give support to Prime Minister Saniora to develop a truly sovereign Lebanon. I think Syria needs to be given a push there and Syria, I think, looking at, for example, the efforts made by the European Union, looking at the fact that the foreign minister of Germany went there to talk to them. Syria has been given a lot of opportunities, unfortunately they have allowed those opportunities to pass without taking any action. We expect Syria to change, but unfortunately so far we haven't received any optimistic messages."
6. SOUNDBITE (English) George W. Bush, United States President:
"My personal reaction is that Saddam Hussein was given a trial that he was unwilling to give the thousands of people he killed. He was given a fair trial, something he was unwilling to give thousands of Iraqi citizens who he brutalised. I wish obviously that the proceedings had gone in a more dignified way, but nevertheless, he was given justice. The thousands of people he killed were not."
7. Bush and Merkel shake hands and leave news conference
STORYLINE:
"We clearly are in need of that cooperation in order to make further progress in solving the problems besetting the world of today," she went on to observe.
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