Bush, Sarkozy hail strong US-France bond

KENNEBUNKPORT (AFP) - US President George W. Bush and his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy affirmed their countries' friendship Saturday ahead of a casual lunch that could signal a new era of closer ties.

Both leaders stressed their common bond but acknowledged that they had their differences, following tensions between Bush and Sarkozy's predecessor Jacques Chirac which arose from differences over the Iraq war.

"For around 250 years France and the United States have been allies and friends," Sarkozy said as he arrived at Bush's family holiday compound in Kennebunkport, Maine.

"When we see, on the edge of the Atlantic, all the cemeteries with white crosses, those are the young Americans who came to die for us. That is more important than Mr. Sarkozy and Mr. Bush," he said.

"So do we agree on everything? No. Because in a family we can have disagreements. But we are the same family, that is the truth," he said.
Bush described Sarkozy as "an ally" and promised the two would have "a heart-to-heart talk."

"Obviously there's been disagreements [with France], but just because you have disagreements doesn't mean you can't have good relations," Bush said.

"We'll be talking about a lot of key issues. The good thing about President Sarkozy is he tells you what he thinks. You know exactly where he stands. And I hope he'd say the same about me ... He's bringing good will," Bush said.

"This is a complicated world and there are a lot of opportunities to bring peace," Bush said.

"Absolutely we'll talk about Iran," Bush added, also noting that he appreciated France's role in helping broker the release of six foreign medics held in Libya for allegedly inflecting children with HIV.

"I appreciate very much the involvement of the French government helping to get the nurses out in Libya, I think we work well together."
Sarkozy arrived from nearby Wolfeboro, New Hampshire where he and his wife have been spending their summer vacation.

Cecilia Sarkozy bowed out of the lunch with Bush and his greater family, saying she and her children had throat ailments.

While the two leaders' meeting was repeatedly billed as casual, earlier this week White House spokesman Tony Snow said it could mark the start of a "new era" in the two countries' relationship.

Sarkozy has made clear he intends to strengthen ties with the United States. After his election he declared that Americans can "count on the friendship" of the French. Bush in turn has expressed openness to stronger ties.

Sarkozy fills a gap in European leadership, said Dominique Moisi of the French Institute of International Relations.

"There was a space there to be filled: Blair has left, Putin has been there a long while -- Sarkozy's time has come," Moisi said.

His image in France is that of an "Atlanticist," committed to better relations with Washington. Critics, though, have taken to calling him "the American" or "the little Bush."

According to a survey by polling company IFOP released Saturday in France, 40 percent of French said they were happy with the current state of Franco-American relations.

Thirty-three percent hoped they would improve and 26 percent said they preferred that France take more of a distance from the United States.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Friday that the US was "working very closely" with France on a range of issues, especially at the UN Security Council. Lebanon, the Darfur crisis in Sudan and Iran are all on their joint agenda.

She, too, emphasized the informality of the Bush-Sarkozy meeting.

"It's a casual lunch, and so they could talk about any range of issues. As when any world leader gets together with another, there's a possibility that they could discuss business," she said.

Bush's National Security Council spokesman, Gordon Johndroe, said Thursday that "if the opportunity presents itself, they may talk about some of the issues facing our two countries," Johndroe said.

But in-depth discussion of major issues will wait until an official meeting likely to take place "some time this fall," he added.