Bush Welcomes EU Leaders to White House
WASHINGTON ” In “frank, open and clear discussions” with President Bush on Monday, European Union leaders reiterated their support for a strategic partnership with the United States and emphasized their decision to work together on stability and reconstruction in Iraq.
The U.S. and EU are hosting a conference in Brussels this week that includes more than 80 countries and several international organizations brainstorming on ways to build a “free and prosperous” Iraq.
“The EU is willing to host this conference with the United States in order to help this new democracy move forward and the reason why is many countries understand that freedom in the heart of the Middle East will make this world more peaceful,” Bush said during a press conference Monday with Jean-Claude Juncker (search), EU president and Jose Manuel Barroso (search), president of the European Commission, the executive office that runs the EU’s day-to-day affairs.
Benita Ferrero-Waldner (search), the EU External Relations Commissioner, and Javier Solana (search), the EU security affairs chief, were also in Washington.
“We’re making progress toward the goal, which is on the one hand a political process moving forward on Iraq; on the other hand Iraqis capable of defending themselves … That’s exactly the strategy that is going to work and it is going to work and we will complete this mission for the sake of world peace,” Bush said.
Juncker and Barroso added that despite early differences on Iraq, the European Union is cooperating closely.
“Although some of us had some differences and divergencies with the U.S. when it came to Iraq, the fact that we are co-organizing and co-sharing this very important Iraq conference is showing that, when it comes to substance, when it comes to progress, when it comes to democracy, to freedom and to liberty, both the U.S. and the European Union are cooperating closely together and working in the same direction,” said Junker, who is also the prime minister of Luxembourg.
“We really believe that the world is a better place when the United States and Europe works closely together,” Barroso said.
