Saying "no power on earth will ever divide us," President Bush arrived in Belgium last night for a week of meetings with foreign leaders during which he'll try to shore up relations with allies and push for more European involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq. In excerpts from a speech he's scheduled to deliver today that were released by the White House on his arrival, Bush calls for unity. "As past debates fade and great duties become clear, let us begin a new era of trans-Atlantic unity," the excerpt say.
Requesting aid for Iraq, he asks allies "to give tangible political, economic and security assistance to the world's newest democracy." The speech today will be the main address of the trip, which was set to begin with a casual meeting with the king of Belgium. Bush is to end the tour with a private dinner with President Jacques Chirac of France. The dinner will be an opportunity for Bush and Chirac to set aside some of the bitterness over the invasion of Iraq. Bush, on his first foreign trip of his second term, "will focus on his vision of a united trans-Atlantic community working together to promote freedom and democracy, particularly in the broader Middle East," said National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley Widespread demonstrations are expected; at least 2,500 police officers were deployed in Brussels. |