Bush reaches out to Europe with pledge on Middle-East

Protestors hold up placards against US President George W. Bush during a demonstration in Brussels. Picture / Reuters

BRUSSELS - US President George W Bush urged Europe to move past Iraq war divisions and work together to spread democracy in the Middle East, pledging to work for Israeli-Palestinian peace and assailing Syria and Iran.

On the first day of a fence-mending European tour, Bush also took his strongest jab so far at the state of democracy and the rule of law in Russia, urging President Vladimir Putin to show his commitment to shared values of freedom.

"Together we can once again set history on a hopeful course," Bush said in his keynote speech in Brussels, home of the European Union and Nato, pledging to work in partnership with Europe in implicit contrast to the much-criticised go-it-alone thrust of his first term in office.

Amid attempts to coax Israelis and Palestinians towards a peace deal and to support Iraq's fledgling democracy, Bush bluntly said Syria "must end its occupation of Lebanon" and refused to rule out using force over Iran's nuclear ambitions.

He and French President Jacques Chirac, at a working dinner symbolising reconciliation after a bitter rift over Iraq, called in a joint statement for a Lebanon "free of foreign domination".

Bush urged the EU to help reconstruct Iraq just as foreign ministers of the 25-nation bloc agreed a package of assistance including plans to train police and judges and offer political support in drafting a new constitution.

A few thousand demonstrators protested peacefully against Bush's visit outside the heavily guarded US Embassy in Brussels, carrying banners such as "Stop Bush" and "Stop the United States of Aggression".

Organisers said 10,000 people took part but police put the crowd at about 3000.

Bush struck a largely conciliatory note, saying he wanted to work in partnership with a united Europe.

He received polite applause from a hand-picked audience in the 19th century Concert Noble hall except when he called for a strong Europe, triggering an enthusiastic ovation.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana welcomed Bush's tone, saying: "The music is very good and the content is very good. A lot of what he said belongs to what we are saying as well. "

"The president hit many of the right buttons for a European audience," analyst Fraser Cameron of the European Policy Centre said, citing the commitment to pursue Middle East peace.

Reflecting Western concern at a perceived authoritarian drift in Moscow, Bush declared: "For Russia to make progress as a European nation, the Russian government must renew a commitment to democracy and the rule of law. "

While reform would not happen overnight, Bush said, "The United States and all European nations should place democratic reform at the heart of their dialogue with Russia."

The message, recalling Western values of media freedom, political pluralism, a liberal economy and open markets, set the backdrop for a potentially robust exchange with Putin when they meet in Bratislava, Slovakia, on Thursday.

Bush also sought a fresh start with French President Jacques Chirac, the leading Iraq war critic, at a working dinner at which both underlined the improvement in their relations.

On Iran, Bush said Tehran must not develop atomic weapons and left open the possibility of military action, while saying he backed efforts by Britain, France and Germany to seek a diplomatic end to Iranian nuclear enrichment.

"In safeguarding the security of free nations, no option can be taken permanently off the table. Iran, however, is different from Iraq. We're in the early stages of diplomacy," he said.

Responding to the Europeans' most pressing priority, the US leader pledged to work for Israeli-Palestinian peace, a cause many felt he neglected in his first term. He said a settlement "is now within reach. "

Bush did not mention Washington's opposition to EU plans to lift an arms embargo on China, but diplomats said the issue was likely to arise at summits with Nato and the European Union on Tuesday.

He tried to reach out to European leaders who had opposed his Iraq war policy, playing down their severe rifts as a "temporary debate" and "passing disagreement of governments. "

But there were no apologies on either side for the bitter differences over the war to oust Saddam Hussein.

Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, the host, said in introducing Bush: "The time has come to draw a line under the tensions of the recent past. It makes little sense to continue arguing about who was right and who was wrong. "

Bush responded: "As past debates fade, and great duties become clear, let us begin a new era of transatlantic unity. "

Some European officials suggested Bush had been mellowed by experiencing the limits of US power in his first term.

"I think America has learned from its experience that it's better to work with and through allies, than alone. I think that's why you're seeing this evolution of American policy," EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said.

- REUTERS