President Bush says former U.S. President Ronald Reagan will be remembered as a man who acted on the strength of his convictions. Mr. Reagan died Saturday after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.
President Bush added that President Reagan had the courage and determination to follow through on his beliefs.
?Ronald Reagan will go down in history as a great American president because he had a core set of principles from which he would not deviate,? Mr. Bush said. ?He understood that a leader is a person who sets clear goals and makes decisions based upon principles that are etched in his soul and our nation will miss him.?
Mr. Bush spoke at the start of a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi who expressed Japan's condolences over President Reagan's death and praised his achievements in helping to advance U.S.-Japanese relations.
Mr. Reagan's body will be flown Wednesday from California to Washington where it will lie in state in the U.S. Capitol. President Bush will deliver the eulogy at a Friday memorial service at the National Cathedral. Mr. Reagan's body will then be returned to California for a burial at his presidential library.