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American president George Bush
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US President Mr George W. Bush met with French President Mr Jacques Chirac just hours before the US leader was to address some 50 leaders gathered at a UN anti-poverty summit in Monterrey, Mexico, today.
The two leaders shook hands and spoke out of earshot of reporters, declining to take questions.
A senior US administration official yesterday said Mr Bush planned to stress France's contributions to the US-led "war on terrorism" and discuss other issues like violence in the Middle East and trade.
Mr Bush will make his first trip to France since taking office as part of a late-May swing to also take him to Germany and Russia.
The president will leave Monterrey tomorrow for Lima, where he will talk trade with Andean leaders. He then heads to San Salvador to do the same with Central American presidents a day later, before returning to Washington.
Last night Cuban President Mr Fidel Castro abruptly walked out of summit after he attacked the West's aid policies in a fiery speech. He then said a "special situation" was forcing him to return to Cuba immediately.
"I beg you all to excuse me since I am not able to continue in your company due to a special situation created by my participation in this summit and I am obliged to return immediately to my country," Mr Castro said.
Mr Ricardo Alarcon, the president of Cuba's national assembly, refused to explain why Mr Castro left but said Mr Bush had made it clear he does not want to meet the Cuban leader. "It is his [Mr Bush's] problem and it is up to his psychiatrist to help him deal with it," Mr Alarcon said.
In his speech, Mr Castro ridiculed efforts by rich nations to reduce global poverty, saying they were masters of a "genocidal" economic system that condemns billions to misery.
The five-day UN meeting, aimed at boosting aid flows to poor nations and reducing poverty levels, ends today.
AFP