Everybody all set up . Obviously im grateful to have my fellow president s here as well as the Vice President. Before i begin, i want to say a few words about the situation in syria. As you have seen, today we released our unclassified assessment detailing with high confidence that the Syrian Regime carried out a chemical weapons attack that killed well over a thousand people, including hundreds of children. This follows horrific images that shocked us all. This kind of attack is a challenge to the world. We cannot accept a world where women and children and innocent civilians are gassed on a terrible scale. This kind of attack threatens our National Security interests by violating wellestablished International Norms against the use of chemical weapons, by further threatening friends and allies of ours in the region, like israel and turkey and jordan, and it increases the risk that chemical weapons will be used in the future and fall into the hands of terrorists who might use them against us. So i have said before and i meant what i said, that the world has an obligation to make sure that we maintain the norm against the use of chemical weapons. I have not made a final decision about various actions that might be taken to help enforce that norm. But as i have already said, i have had my military and our team looked at a wide range of options. We have consulted with allies, we have consulted with congress, we have been in conversations with all the interested parties, and in no event are we considering any kind of military action that would involve boots on the ground, that would involve a longterm campaign, but we are looking at the possibility of a limited, narrow act that would help make sure that not only syria, but others around the world, understand that the International Community cares about maintaining this chemical weapons ban and norm. We are not considering any open ended commitment. We are not considering any bootsontheground approach. What we will do is consider options that need to narrow concern around chemical weapons, understanding there is not going to be a solely military solution to the conflict and tragedy taking place in syria. And i will continue to consult closely with congress in addition to the release of the unclassified document. We are providing a classified briefing to congressional staffs today and will offer that same classified briefing to members of congress, as well as our international partners. I will continue to provide updates to the American People as we get more information. With that, i want to welcome the president s to the white house. These countries that they represent all share a very deep tie to the United States, both as allies, and because of the people relations we have with these countries. I want to thank all the president s who are here and their nations for all that they do to promote democracy, not only in their own country, but around the world. The baltics are among our most reliable allies in nato, and our commitment to their security is rock solid. Our soldiers sacrificed together in afghanistan, and the baltic ports continue to support our troops as we transition the nato mission. Today we will spend time talking about our shared commitments to the transatlantic trade and Investment Partnership negotiations, which will add jobs in the baltics and the United States. We are working on Development Assistance and projects, including building institutions and strengthening society in the emerging democracies in Eastern Europe and central asia. We will obviously have discussions about our nato relationship and the security concerns that we share together. So again, i have had occasions to meet with all three president s on a wide variety of settings. They have been outstanding friends of the United States. We are proud of them. I want to thank each of them for their leadership. We know how far estonia, latvia, and lithuania have come in the past decades, so i want to give each of these leaders an opportunity to say a few words. We will start with the president. Thank you. I would like to begin by thanking president obama for inviting us here and we are quite grateful to the administration to the United States and you personally for your leadership and support. The main issue on our agenda today is global and Regional Security and the question on everyones mind is the situation in syria. For estonia, the use of chemical weapons is deplorable. The attack demands a response. Violations cannot be overlooked. When it comes to our security, we appreciate the commitment the United States has shown to our region and europe as a whole, and we attach great importance to continued u. S. Engagement in european security. The transatlantic Security Link is unique and enduring, as are the common values that underpin it. We take our responsibility to our common defense seriously. We will remain committed to natos mission in afghanistan. We have spent 2 of our gdp on defense. We believe in maintaining a strong transatlantic link in energy and security. I look forward to exchanging views, as i look forward to discussing what we can do together internationally to promote our common values, democracy, human rights, rule of law. We cooperate with countries that lie to the east and south of us ukraine, moldova, georgia, tunisia as well, to name a few. Im sure that this Global Operation aimed at helping countries transition from authoritarian to democratic rule will be expanded in the future. Recently we have heard a lot of talk about events. Today we are on the verge of a new rebalancing of the u. S. Focus, this time to the nordic baltic region, our region being one of the most secure, stable, and prosperous in europe. We are proud to be part of it, proud of the partnership we have with the United States here, just as we are proud of our alliance and enduring friendship of the American People. I would like to add that the Regional Security were talking about economic security, and also on energy security. The United States plays a very serious role. We are open to have nato as a center of excellence for energy security, and with the United States, for nuclear security. This is important because we are on the borders of nato with other notsosecure regions, and the involvement of the United States is so important for our region. As the country in which resides today the European Unions council, we are engaged in starting negotiations on an agreement between the United States and european union, and im happy that we got one thing and now we are waiting for a second one, and i think it is generational challenges and opportunities for all of us for the United States and europe to move past these kinds of relations and to have very efficient outcomes. We would hope we will be able to do this. Together with the military, new challenges, we are trying to battle new economic challenges together with the cyber challenges, which were facing all the time. I want to say that everything, every day practically we see this aggressiveness, and new forms of challenges our region is facing. I can also confirm that nordic and baltic cooperation is a new phenomenon, a unique phenomenon in europe, which is very much reliable, and you can comment on that as being Strategic Partners for the United States. It is important for the American People [indiscernible] for the past 15 years when the balticamerican charter was signed, a dramatic moment for us, we are thankful to you during your president ial time. The u. S. Led military exercises in the baltic recently. Also to afghanistan [indiscernible] of course we see the future together at the same time being very active in europe. We are working and thank you for supporting us to become members. Our thought was to look for new possibilities in europe and using past experience, and also to seek partnerships, which is particularly important in relations with afghanistan. To deliver this country [indiscernible] lastly but at the same time, we felt much more at having this Good Neighbors set forward and such partners as the u. S. , we can move forward quietly, and todays meeting is a demonstration of the United States in the baltics. Thank you. On syria [indiscernible] we are still in the planning process, and obviously in consultations with congress as well as the International Community are very important. My preference obviously would have been the International Community already acted forcefully, but what we have seen, so far at least, is an incapacity at this point for the Security Council to move forward in the face of a clear violation of International Norms. I recognize that all of us, here in the United States, in great britain, and many parts of the world, there is a certain weariness given afghanistan, a certain weariness given suspicion of any military action postiraq, and i appreciate that. It is important for us to recognize that when over a thousand people are killed, including hundreds of innocent children through the use of a weapon that 98 or 99 of humanity says should not be used even in war and there is no action, then we are sending a signal that that International Norm does not mean much. And that is a dangerous thing to our National Security. Obviously, if and when we make a decision to respond, there are a whole host of considerations that i have to take into account in terms of how effective it is and given the kinds of options we are looking at, it would be very limited and would not involve a longterm commitment or a major operation. We are confident we can provide congress all the information and get all the input that they need, and we are very mindful of that, and we can have serious conversations with our allies and friends around the world about this, but ultimately we do not want the world to be paralyzed. And frankly, part of the challenge we end up with here is that a lot of people think something should be done, but nobody wants to do it. And that is not an unusual situation, and that is part of what allows over time the erosion of these kinds of International Provisions unless somebody says no. When the world says we are not going to use chemical weapons, we mean it, and it would be tempting to leave to others to do it. And i think i have shown consistently and said consistently my strong preference for multilateral action whenever possible. But it is not in the National Security interests of the United States to ignore clear violations of these kinds of International Norms. The reason is because there are a whole host of International Norms that are important to us. We have currently rules in place dealing with the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. We have International Norms that have been violated by certain countries, and United Nations has put sanctions in place, but if there is a sense that over time nobody is willing actually to enforce them, then people do not take them seriously. I am very clear that the world generally is more wary. Certainly, the United States has gone through over a decade of war. The American People understandably want us to be ofused on the business rebuilding our economy here, putting people back to work. I assure you that nobody and that being moral or more war weary than me. As aof our obligation leader in the world is making regimeat when you have a that is willing to use weapons that are prohibited by International Norms on their own people, including children, that they are held to account. Mr. President [inaudible] about an hour or so before the president putting comments, secretary of state john kerry also spoke about the situation in syria. President obama has spent many days consulting with congress and talking with leaders around the world about the situation in syria. Last night he asked all of us on his team to consult with the leaders of congress as well. Including the leadership of the congressional National Security committees. He asked us to consult about what we know regarding the horrific chemical weapons attack in the damascus suburbs last week. I will tell you as someone who has spent three decades in the United States congress, i know that consultation is the right way for a president to approach a decision of when and how and if to use military force. Its important to ask the tough questions and get the tough answers before taking action. Not just afterwards. I believe it is also important to discuss this directly with the American People. That is our responsibility. To talk with the citizens who have entrusted all of us in the administration and in the congress with the responsibility for their security. That is why this mornings release of our governments unclassified estimate of what took place in syria is so important. His findings are as clear as they are compelling. I am not asking you to take my word for it. Read for yourself, everyone, those listening, all of you, read for yourselves the evidence from thousands of sources, evidence that is already available. Read for yourselves the verdict reached by our Intelligence Community about the chemical weapons attack the assad inflicted on the opposition and on neighborhoods in the damascus suburbs on the Early Morning of august 21. Our Intelligence Community has carefully reviewed and rewritten rereviewed information regarding this attack. And i will tell you it has done so war than mindful of the iraq experience. We will not repeat that moment. We have taken unprecedented steps to declassify and make facts available to people who can judge for themselves. But still, in order to protect sources and methods, some of what we know will only be released to members of congress, the representatives of the American People. That means some things we do know we cant talk about publicly. So what do we know we can talk about . Well, we know the assad regime has the largest Chemical Weapons Program in the entire middle east. We know that the regime has used those weapons multiple times this year. And has used them on a smaller scale, but used them against its own people, including not very far from where the attack happened on wednesday. We know that the regime was specifically determined to rid the damascus suburbs of the opposition and it was frustrated it had not succeeded in doing so. We know for three days before the attack, the Syrian Regimes chemical weapons personnel were on the ground in the area making preparations. And we know the Syrian Regime elements were told to prepare for the attack by putting on gas masks and taking precautions associated with chemical weapons. We know these were specific instructions. We know where the rockets were launched from and at what time. We know where they landed and when. We know rockets came only from regimecontrolled areas and went only to oppositioncontested neighborhoods. And we know, as does the world, 90 minutes later all hell broke loose in the social media. With our own eyes we have seen thousands of reports from 11 separate sites in damascus, all of them show and report victims with breathing difficulties, people twitching with spasms, coughing, rapid heartbeats, foaming at the mouth. Unconsciousness. Death. And we know it was ordinary syrian citizens who reported all of these horrors. Just as important, we know what the doctors and the nurses who treated them did not report. Not a scratch, not a shrapnel wound, not a gunshot wound. We saw rows of dead wind up in burial shrouds. White linen unstained by a single drop of blood. Instead of being tucked safely in their beds at home, we saw children lying sidebyside, sprawled on a hospital floor. All of them dead from assads gas and surrounded by parents and grandparents who had suffered the same fate. The United States government knows at least 1429 syrians were killed in this attack, including at least 426 children. Even the first responders, the doctors, nurses who try to save them, they became victims themselves. We saw them gasping for air. Terrified their own lives were in danger. This is the indiscriminate, inconceivable horror of chemical weapons. This is what assad did to his own people. We also know many disturbing details about the aftermath. We know a senior official, who knew about the attack, confirmed that chemical weapons were used by the regime. Reviewed the impact and actually was afraid they would be discovered. We know this. And we know what they did next. I personally called the foreign minister and i said to him, if your nation has nothing