US: George Bush seems to be recognising a new reality by making the first -ever presidential visit to EU headquarters in Brussels, writes Conor O'Clery
US President George Bush sets out for Europe tomorrow on a trip laden with symbolism after the tensions over Iraq of recent years. Seeking to reassure Europeans "as we move beyond the differences of the past that we can work a lot together to achieve big objectives", Mr Bush will spend three days in Brussels meeting EU and NATO leaders.
Iran, Syria, North Korea, the Israel-Palestinian process and global warming will be on the agenda, and EU leaders will be particularly keen to explore Mr Bush's intentions over Iran.
In an interview with Germany's ARD television before his week-long journey to Belgium, Germany and Slovakia, Mr Bush refused to rule out military force to combat Iran's alleged nuclear weapons programme, but said there was no truth to stories that force was planned.
"First of all you never want a president to say 'never', but military action is certainly not, is never the president's first choice," Mr Bush said. Diplomacy was the first choice in a common goal "that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon." The issue is fraught with possible contention.
Yesterday US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice contradicted a statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin that Iran had "no intention" of building an atomic weapon. There were "good reasons to be suspicious of what the Iranians are doing," Dr Rice said, after meeting Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot in Washington.
The EU, represented by France, Britain and Germany, has been trying to persuade Iran to cease any nuclear weapons-related activities in return for economic incentives but the US is refusing to take part, preferring to threaten sanctions.
Mr Bush accused Iran of trying to use the US refusal to join European talks over Tehran's nuclear program as an excuse for not giving up uranium enrichment.
The EU ambassador to Washington, Mr John Bruton, said the goal of the EU next week would be to get the US involved "in a more committed way" in the negotiations with Iran. The former Taoiseach also said there was a recognition in Europe that "this president has got his mandate and speaks for a lot of Americans".
Mr Bruton said he was also heartened by the fact that global warming would be an issue and he believed it would be possible to evolve methods of co-operation on climate control as a way of moving forward in the absence of agreement on the Kyoto Treaty.
Mr Bush told France 3 television that he wanted a better relationship with France, often tarred in the US as "Old Europe". He and President Jacques Chirac "had our differences," he said, "and now is the time to set those aside and focus on peace in the Middle East."
The sudden movement in the Israel-Palestinian process and the elections in Iraq have given Mr Bush an opening to improve relations strained by the US-led invasion of Iraq.
The two sides also have a common goal in supporting the new Palestinian government and opposing continued Syrian presence in Lebanon, though France is resisting US demands to designate Lebanon-based Hizbollah a terrorist group. Europeans May still be wary that Mr Bush's agenda for spreading democracy might mean he is still not committed to a more pluralistic foreign policy.
The EU initiative in the Ukrainian crisis and its leading role in Iran underlines a new reality which Mr Bush seems to be recognising by making the first ever presidential visit EU headquarters in Brussels.
The US will increasingly deal with the EU rather than NATO in future, according to the US government's National Intelligence Council. Mr Bush is expected to looking for more help in training Iraqi security forces during a 90-minute meeting with EU leaders, and support for an international conference on Iraq's future.
The Bush-Putin meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia, on Thursday will test what has been a friendly relationship in the light of the disagreements over Iran and the roll-back of democracy in Russia. Mr Bush will also likely express concern about Russia's plans to sell missile systems to Syria.
Mr Bush will meet NATO leaders and Mr Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder separately during the week.