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Bush and Sarkozy promote ties
President George W. Bush and French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Saturday stressed friendship over disagreement at a lunch of hamburgers and hot dogs at the Bush family estate aimed at improving relations strained by the Iraq war.
Bush called Sarkozy ?a friend? while waiting with his wife, Laura, and parents to greet the French leader on the driveway of the family?s compound in this Maine resort town. ?We?ve got good relations with France, obviously there?s been disagreements,? Bush said. ?We have had disagreements, on Iraq in particular. But I?ve never allowed disagreements to not find other ways to work together,? he told reporters.
The United States hopes for improved ties with France under Sarkozy after relations chilled with his predecessor, Jacques Chirac, who opposed the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. Sarkozy, wearing blue jeans in keeping with the casual nature of the meeting, also stressed good relations. ?Do we agree on everything? No,? he said. ?Even within families there are disagreements, but we are still the same family.?
Sarkozy arrived at the Bush ?Walker?s Point? estate from nearby New Hampshire, where he is on his first vacation since taking office in May. The American holiday, which has drawn criticism in France, was briefly interrupted when Sarkozy flew home to attend the funeral of Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger on Friday.
Sarkozy?s wife, Cecilia, called first lady Laura Bush on Saturday morning and said she and her children were not feeling well and would not attend the lunch. Sarkozy said when he returned from France he discovered they had sore throats. Bush, who came to Maine to attend the wedding of a family friend, will continue his vacation at the Texas ranch starting today.
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