White House Statement on the President's Meeting With Cornelio Sommaruga of the International Committee of the Red Cross

The President met today with Cornelio Sommaruga, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The visit provided an opportunity for President Bush to express American appreciation for the impressive humanitarian and human rights work of the ICRC around the world. ICRC efforts on behalf of refugees, the hungry, the displaced, political prisoners, and prisoners of war are well-known and well-respected.

The President and Mr. Sommaruga specifically discussed ICRC activities in Afghanistan and Sudan, and Mr. Sommaruga thanked President Bush for the recent special contribution of $10 million as a humanitarian gesture for ICRC activities in these countries.