*EPF502 01/31/2003
White House Report, Jan. 31: Blair, Havel, Argentina, Week Ahead
(Press Secretary Fleischer briefed) (360)

BUSH MEETS WITH BRITAIN'S BLAIR AT WHITE HOUSE

President Bush and Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair were to meet for several hours of discussions at the White House the afternoon of January 31. Their plans to meet at the Camp David presidential retreat in the mountains outside Washington were scrapped because of poor weather.

Their discussions will include "how to promote peace in the Middle East" and "how to keep the pressure on so Iraq's Saddam Hussein disarms," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters.

BUSH PHONES VACLAV HAVEL

President Bush the morning of January 31 phoned Vaclav Havel, President of the Czech Republic, Fleischer reported. Havel was one of the signators of the letter signed by eight European leaders, published in many newspapers January 30, in support of transatlantic cooperation on Iraq.

BUSH PHONES PRESIDENT DUHALDE OF ARGENTINA

President Bush January 31 phoned Argentina's President Eduardo Duhalde and congratulated him on an agreement with the International Monetary Fund that will provide $6.78 billion in new loans to help deal with the worst financial crisis in Argentina's history.

In his telephone call Bush stressed that successful implementation of an IMF-approved economic reform program would build on the success Duhalde's government has achieved in stabilizing the economic situation in South America's second largest economy, Fleischer told reporters.

The IMF announced last week that it was providing Argentina with the new loans.

BUSH RADIO ADDRESS AND WEEK AHEAD

Fleischer said the president's weekly radio address Saturday, February 1, will cover humanitarian issues as well as foreign policy, but will not specifically discuss Iraq. It is expected to contain some news-making items, Fleischer said.

Monday, February 3, Bush visits the National Institutes of Health (NIH); the subject is bioterrorism;

Tuesday, February 4, Bush meets at the White House with Sheik Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of Bahrain;

Wednesday, February 5, Bush meets at the White House with Leszek Miller, the Prime Minister of Poland;

Thursday, February 6, Bush makes statements on his energy initiative;

Friday, February 7, Bush will depart White House for Camp David for the weekend.

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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