U.S. President Donald Trump is paying tribute to former First Lady Barbara Bush.

The president made the remarks at the start of a news conference at his Mar-a-Largo estate in Florida with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The issue of upcoming talks with North Korea dominated early the comments made by Trump to reporters.

Trump is also pledging to help free Japanese citizens abducted and held captive by North Korea.

Trump said Wednesday during a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that he's pushing to reduce the trade imbalance between the two countries and remove barriers to U.S. exports.

In his remarks, Abe said there should be "no reward" given to North Korea just because the reclusive country is responding to dialogue over its development of nuclear weapons.

Abe said that "maximum pressure should be maintained."

Abe and Trump are wrapping up two days of meetings at the president's Mar-a-Lago estate.

POOL

Palm Beach, Florida - 18 April 2018

1. Side, US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe walk toward microphones

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"I want to begin today by expressing my deep condolences to the entire Bush family on the passing of former first lady Barbara Bush, a wonderful, wonderful person. For decades Barbara was a titan in American life. Her presence and character were engraved into America's identity. Her strength and toughness really embodied the spirit of our country and her warmth and devotion earned the admiration of an entire nation and indeed the entire world. She was a tireless champion for literacy. She was a fierce advocate for the American family. And she was a woman of proud patriotism and profound faith. Our hearts are saddened by her passing but our spirits are lifted by the memories of her goodness and her grace. She was a good person. Melania and I send our prayers to Barbara's husband of seventy three years. I'll never beat that record, President George H.W. Bush. To the surviving children Jeb and Neil and Marvin Dorothee and former President George W. Bush and to their many wonderful grandchildren and great grandchildren."

3. Cutaway news conference

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"As you know I will be meeting with Kim Jong Un in the coming weeks to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Hopefully that meeting will be a great success and we're looking forward to it. It would be a tremendous thing for North Korea and a tremendous thing for the world. So, we will be doing everything possible to make it a worldwide success, not just for the United States or South Korea or North Korea or Japan but for the entire world."

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"Shinzo you have worked very hard along with us and all of our people and we thank you very much. And we're with you and you are a lot closer than we are but we're working on this together. Thank you very much."

6. Mid, Trump and Abe shake hands

7. Wide, news conference

8. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan:

"A year or so has passed since then, (the first Abe-Trump meeting) the situation surrounding North Korea due to the decisive decision by President Trump on the first ever US-North Korea summit is at a historical turning point. The past mistakes should never be repeated. On this point, President Trump and I were in full agreement. On the occasion of the 1994 framework agreement or the 2005 6-party talks agreement, North Korea committed to abandon nuclear weapons development but those promises were broken. And the effort of the international community to engage in dialogue were all entirely exploited to buy time to develop nuclear weapons and missiles. "

9. Side, news conference

10. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan:

"Just because North Korea is responding to dialogue, there should be no reward. Maximum pressure should be maintained and actual implementation of concrete actions towards denuclearizations will be demanded."

11. Mid, news conference

12. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan:

"We also agree to continue our effort towards the early resolution of the top priority matter of abduction. Just now, President Trump on this spot, here, has mentioned the return of abductees. Maximum effort will be made with a clear promise, just made here. We are deeply encouraged, Donald."

13. Cutaway reporters

U.S. President Donald Trump is paying tribute to former First Lady Barbara Bush.

The president made the remarks at the start of a news conference at his Mar-a-Largo estate in Florida with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The issue of upcoming talks with North Korea dominated early the comments made by Trump to reporters.

Trump is also pledging to help free Japanese citizens abducted and held captive by North Korea.

Trump said Wednesday during a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that he's pushing to reduce the trade imbalance between the two countries and remove barriers to U.S. exports.

In his remarks, Abe said there should be "no reward" given to North Korea just because the reclusive country is responding to dialogue over its development of nuclear weapons.

Abe said that "maximum pressure should be maintained."

Abe and Trump are wrapping up two days of meetings at the president's Mar-a-Lago estate.

POOL

Palm Beach, Florida - 18 April 2018

1. Side, US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe walk toward microphones

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"I want to begin today by expressing my deep condolences to the entire Bush family on the passing of former first lady Barbara Bush, a wonderful, wonderful person. For decades Barbara was a titan in American life. Her presence and character were engraved into America's identity. Her strength and toughness really embodied the spirit of our country and her warmth and devotion earned the admiration of an entire nation and indeed the entire world. She was a tireless champion for literacy. She was a fierce advocate for the American family. And she was a woman of proud patriotism and profound faith. Our hearts are saddened by her passing but our spirits are lifted by the memories of her goodness and her grace. She was a good person. Melania and I send our prayers to Barbara's husband of seventy three years. I'll never beat that record, President George H.W. Bush. To the surviving children Jeb and Neil and Marvin Dorothee and former President George W. Bush and to their many wonderful grandchildren and great grandchildren."

3. Cutaway news conference

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"As you know I will be meeting with Kim Jong Un in the coming weeks to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Hopefully that meeting will be a great success and we're looking forward to it. It would be a tremendous thing for North Korea and a tremendous thing for the world. So, we will be doing everything possible to make it a worldwide success, not just for the United States or South Korea or North Korea or Japan but for the entire world."

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"Shinzo you have worked very hard along with us and all of our people and we thank you very much. And we're with you and you are a lot closer than we are but we're working on this together. Thank you very much."

6. Mid, Trump and Abe shake hands

7. Wide, news conference

8. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan:

"A year or so has passed since then, (the first Abe-Trump meeting) the situation surrounding North Korea due to the decisive decision by President Trump on the first ever US-North Korea summit is at a historical turning point. The past mistakes should never be repeated. On this point, President Trump and I were in full agreement. On the occasion of the 1994 framework agreement or the 2005 6-party talks agreement, North Korea committed to abandon nuclear weapons development but those promises were broken. And the effort of the international community to engage in dialogue were all entirely exploited to buy time to develop nuclear weapons and missiles. "

9. Side, news conference

10. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan:

"Just because North Korea is responding to dialogue, there should be no reward. Maximum pressure should be maintained and actual implementation of concrete actions towards denuclearizations will be demanded."

11. Mid, news conference

12. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan:

"We also agree to continue our effort towards the early resolution of the top priority matter of abduction. Just now, President Trump on this spot, here, has mentioned the return of abductees. Maximum effort will be made with a clear promise, just made here. We are deeply encouraged, Donald."

13. Cutaway reporters

SHOTLIST:

Recent

1. Wide and close-up view of White House surrounded by snow

2. Pan view from tourists to White House

1 February 2004

3. David Kay walking to microphone

4. SOUNBDITE: (English) David Kay, former chief US weapons inspector in Iraq:

"Oh, I am encouraged by it. I think that is the proper course. I think that that is the proper course not only for the president, I think it is the proper course more importantly for the nation."

28 January 2004

5. Kay walking into Congressional hearing

6. Pan view from Kay to Senator Ted Kennedy (Democrat- Massachusetts)

1 February 2004

7. SOUNBDITE: (English) David Kay, former chief U.S. weapons inspector in Iraq:

"I really have no idea, in part it is a practical issue. It depends on how long it takes agreement on what the independent commission is going to look like. These are serious issues, they are really fundamental flaws. They are not witch hunts for individuals which you could do rather quickly and you look, the Challenger and Columbia enterprises - rather simple acts in terms of engineering investigations in terms of how long they took - this is going to be a tough job. I don't think you need artificial constraints before or after the election. It ought to take as much time as it takes to render the proper and full and complete, credible judgement."

8. Pan view of Kay walking away

9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Senator David Rockefeller, Senate Intelligence Committee:

"The Senate Intelligence Committee and the House Intelligence Committee should have been given the chance to do that. We were precluded by various people in the administration from taking on what the White House's role was in terms of the use of intelligence, misuse of intelligence, embellishment of intelligence, looking at intelligence, standing back - all of that. Second reaction is that it is inevitable and good because this is a ... the largest think that has happened in maybe a century. And it has, we have 30 or 40 years of this ahead of us and therefore a commission is a good idea. My third reaction is that it should not, as some have suggested, be held off for a year. National security in these days cannot be put off a year. It ought to be done right away and you know, it may be used by the President in terms of getting by the election, but I can accept that because national security trumps a presidential election every time."

10. James Woolsey at microphones

11. Media

12. SOUNDBITE: (English) James Woolsey, former Central Intelligence Agency Director:

"Kay even says Saddam may have been deceived by scientists who said they had weapons of mass destruction programmes going for him and instead were pocketing the money. I mean we have entered some sort of twilight zone over there in terms of trying to sort out exactly what was going on. So I think before anyone thinks about apologising or anything else, we need to get on top of this. We need to be deliberate and careful about the way we do it."

13. Woolsey speaking in front of TV cameras

STORYLINE:

The White House is considering endorsing the creation of an independent commission to investigate whether the US used faulty intelligence to justify invading Iraq.

US government sources said this weekend that a statement of support from the White House could come this week - until now, President George W. Bush has refused to endorse it publicly.

David Kay, the former head of the inspection team, on Sunday welcomed the news that the White House is considering an independent look at the intelligence, describing it as a "proper course of action."

In testimony on Capitol Hill this week Kay said the administration's intelligence on Iraq was "almost all wrong" and that the information on which Bush's war decision was based was erroneous.

Kay said that until it was clear how prewar intelligence about Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction ended up being off-the-mark, the public would be dubious of government claims that other countries were a threat.

He also said the investigation should not adhere to any artificial time constraints, referring to the US presidential election in November.

A full-blown investigation of Iraq intelligence failures could pose election-year risks for Bush - no one could be certain where it would lead, who it would touch or what it would uncover.

The Senate Intelligence committee's top Democrat, Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, stressed the investigation should not be delayed until after the election.

Defending the assessments of Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction, the former head of the Central Intelligence Agency, James Woolsey, says David Kay's investigations found the Iraqis had misled Saddam Hussein as to the extent of his weapons capabilities.