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Puck
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 Sun Feb 20, 2005 10:10 am Bush heads to Europe for talks |
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Bush heads to Europe for talks
Iraq, Iran, Russian democracy on agenda
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush left on a five-day, fence-mending trip to Europe on Sunday, hoping to heal frayed feelings from the Iraq war and to bolster U.S.-European alliances.
"Leaders on both sides of the Atlantic understand that the hopes for peace in the world depend on the continued unity of free nations," Bush said during his Saturday radio address.
"We do not accept a false caricature that divides the Western world between an idealistic United States and a cynical Europe. America and Europe are the pillars of the free world," he said. "We share the same belief in freedom and the rights of every individual, and we are working together across the globe to advance our common interest and common values."
The president and first lady Laura Bush departed for Brussels, Belgium, the first stop on their five-day trip.
Though their itinerary includes just three countries -- Belgium, Germany and the Slovak Republic -- Bush will be meeting with virtually every major political player on the continent, including French President Jacques Chirac, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and the new president of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko.
In Brussels, Bush will also meet with NATO heads of state and members of the European Council, in addition to having one-on-one meetings with two European leaders who supported his Iraq policy -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
During his first trip to Europe since re-election, Bush will also give a major speech that "will focus on his vision of a united trans-Atlantic community, working together to promote freedom and democracy, particularly in the broader Middle East," national security adviser Stephen Hadley said.
Bush will meet in Germany with U.S. soldiers who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he'll participate in a roundtable discussion with German citizens.
Bush's visit to the Slovak Republic -- formerly a part of Czechoslovakia during the Cold War -- will be the first by a sitting U.S. president. While there, he will give a public speech in the central square of the capital, Bratislava.
In an interview Friday with Slovak state television, Bush said his visit there "is going to be one of the highlights of the trip."
"I'm thankful for the invitation, because I want to say to the world, freedom is a beautiful thing," Bush said. "Here is a country that is working hard to promote democracy. ... I've always felt like countries like the Slovak Republic are very important for the world to know more about because, as you know, I'm a big believer in liberty, and this is a country which is succeeding."
Hadley said topics likely to be addressed in Bush's discussions with European leaders include "finding new ways to support the new governments of Iraq and Afghanistan, advancing an Israeli-Palestinian settlement and spreading freedom and democracy to parts of the world that have known too little of both."
He also indicated that it is likely that the United States will secure specific commitments from NATO members on providing assistance to the new Iraqi government.
What to do about Iran's fledgling nuclear program, and how to approach Syria's continued military presence in Lebanon, are also likely to be on the agenda, Hadley said.
Germany, Britain and France have been negotiating with Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. Bush -- who grouped Iran with North Korea and Iraq into part of an "axis of evil" in his 2002 State of the Union address -- has accused Tehran of operating a clandestine nuclear weapons program.
Iran, rich in oil but struggling to power a growing population, has insisted its nuclear program is designed for civilian electricity production only.
Syria and Lebanon are likely to come up during Bush administration discussions with French officials. France, a former colonialist in Syria and Lebanon, worked with the United States on a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for the withdrawal of Syria's approximately 13,000 troops deployed in Lebanon.
Hadley also said U.S. officials have raised objections with Russia over its proposed sale of surface-to-air missiles to Syria.
Bush said last week that he did not know whether Syria was involved in the assassination on Monday of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. But U.S. officials said last week that Syria's presence has created a destabilized situation in Lebanon. (Full story)
Bush's meeting with Putin will take place in the Slovak Republic, on the last day of the trip. In interviews with international media, the president made it clear that he planned to raise with Putin his concerns about what U.S. officials see as an erosion of democracy in Russia -- but that he would do so gently.
"I want him to be able to have a chance to say he's done it for this reason or done that, so I can explain to him as best I can, in a friendly way, of course, that Western values are based upon transparency and rule of law, the right for the people to express themselves, checks and balances in government," Bush told Slovak state television.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov was quoted by Reuters last week that Moscow is "prepared to calmly move further in this direction, developing democracy and integrating into the global economic system, but while doing so we prefer to be masters of our own house." (Full story)
Bush told Russia's ITAR-TASS that he does not believe there is any need for "a fresh start" in his relationship with Putin.
"We're friends," Bush said. "We've got the framework for a good strategic relationship, which is important. I think this relationship can be invigorated."
Among recent changes that have sparked concern in the Bush administration: governors in Russia are now nominated by the president and approved by regional assemblies rather than elected by popular vote.
On the Iranian issue, Moscow has been under strong pressure from the United States not to go ahead with providing nuclear fuel for Iran's $800 million reactor in the southern city of Bushehr.
The United States says the technology used at the reactor could help Iran to develop nuclear weapons. Russia denies that and notes that its agreement on return of fuel will eliminate the possibility that Tehran could use it for nuclear weapons. (Full story)
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http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/02/20/bush.europe/index.html
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