WASHINGTON, 26 June 2003 — US President George W. Bush and EU leaders held their annual summit here yesterday, working to banish lingering tensions over Iraq and to narrow rifts on issues like trade, the Middle East, and aid.
Bush received European Commission president Romano Prodi and Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, whose country holds the revolving EU presidency, in the Oval Office and then for a working lunch.
“They’ll talk about peace in the Middle East and making progress, moving forward. They will talk about fighting international terrorism, efforts to stop (arms) proliferation,” said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer.
Afterwards, the leaders were to hold a joint press conference that was expected to highlight the signing of US-EU agreements on extradition and legal cooperation aimed at reinforcing transatlantic cooperation against terrorism.
“There will be an announcement of joint investigative teams, increased sharing of information on suspect bank accounts, and expansion of the range of offenses that qualify for extradition,” Fleischer said.
The leaders were expected to issue a joint declaration underscoring the need to combat the spread of unconventional weapons, a Bush administration priority which the Europeans backed at their summit in Greece last week.
From the economic point of view, the summit will kick off negotiations on a broad US-EU air transportation agreement that will replace several bilateral accords between various EU member nations and Washington.
Although both sides claim to be moving beyond the acrimony over the war in Iraq, they remain wide apart on a host of issues including a spate of commercial disputes and foreign-policy headaches such as Iran and the Middle East.
With Bush showing fresh resolve to forge Middle East peace, Washington has been pushing Europe to take a harder line against Palestinian militant groups like Hamas and help decisively sideline Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Bush has shunned Arafat and believes that he “is not dedicated to peace,” Fleischer said. European leaders still meet with Arafat when they travel to the region.
A senior US official briefing reporters Monday said that Europe should stop distinguishing between Hamas’ political and military wings and adopt the US position that the group as a whole is a terrorist organization.
On the commercial front, the two sides are wide apart on issues like agricultural subsidies and genetically modified foods, with Bush repeatedly accusing the EU ban on such products of promoting famine in Africa. On the broader issue of aid to developing nations, the US leader has sought to turn the tables on Europe by pushing a $15 billion plan to fight the spread of HIV-AIDS and tying enhanced US aid to political and economic reforms.
