President Seeks to Forge Ties With Blair

When he greets British Prime Minister Tony Blair at Camp David today, it will be President Bush’s second straight weekend of high-level diplomacy.

But unlike last Friday’s reunion with Mexican President Vicente Fox, a longtime acquaintance, Bush must launch a relationship with Blair virtually from scratch--a daunting task at first blush.

The men have never met and have spoken only twice by telephone. Ideologically, they are miles apart--Bush a “compassionate conservative,” Blair an intellectual soul mate of former President Clinton.

But as Blair artfully put it this week, “You can be close friends with more than one person.”

Meeting with U.S. reporters in London before crossing the Atlantic, Blair cited his relations with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, a conservative, and added, “I work across party lines.”

As the first European leader to meet with Bush, Blair at least will find himself on familiar ground as an overnight visitor to the presidential retreat in Maryland’s Catoctin Mountains.

The prime minister has been to Camp David before as the guest of Clinton, with whom Blair shares a pragmatic approach--a so-called third way--to liberal politics.

More important, however, Bush and Blair agree on key geopolitical issues, especially a tough stand against Iraq. And unlike many other European leaders, Blair is open-minded about Bush’s plans to build a national missile defense system.

All that may well enable Bush and Blair to forge a strong bond across the Atlantic--as many of their predecessors have.

Blair, who will be accompanied by his wife, Cherie, is expected to have lunch with Bush today. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell is scheduled to join them and then leave shortly afterward for his first trip to the Middle East as the United States’ top diplomat.

After a working session in the afternoon, and perhaps a stroll around Camp David, the Bushes and the Blairs are to have a private dinner. The Blairs will return home Saturday morning.

Blair’s visit “gives them an opportunity in an informal setting . . . to deepen their ties before they have to address issues,” said Condoleezza Rice, the president’s national security advisor.

“The purpose of this meeting . . . is really to get to know somebody, to spend some time in both discussions about issues, but also in an informal setting with family.”

Although the much hailed “special” U.S.-British relationship may be institutional, as Blair noted, “when you’re dealing at the international level, the personal relationship matters.”

During a White House news conference Thursday, Bush said he is looking forward to meeting Blair.

“I’m anxious to meet the prime minister. We’ve had a couple of good conversations on the telephone,” he said. “Laura and I are looking forward to having a private dinner with he and Mrs. Blair Friday night.”

The two leaders are scheduled to hold a news conference at Camp David this afternoon.

They are expected to focus on trade, economic issues and various security matters, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s role in a European defense force, missile defense, the Balkans and Russia, according to Blair spokesman Alastair Campbell.

Although many European leaders fear that a U.S. missile defense system could revive an international arms race, Blair has articulated a more sympathetic view of Washington’s intentions, calling the desire for such a shield “understandable.”

Rice said Thursday that Blair and Bush will probably be “reviewing everything” about Iraq policy, although she warned, “But I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions about what the outcome of those discussions will be.”

In his meeting with U.S. journalists in London, Blair didn’t bring up the issue of Northern Ireland--in which Clinton took an active role--until reporters raised it.

“I am sure [Bush] will help in any way he can,” Blair said, adding that “it is for him to decide whether it is opportune for him to take a hand in that.”

Blair also said that there are times when U.S. presidents can make a difference but that they can’t “micro-manage” the peace process.

Rice on Thursday characterized the Northern Ireland process as being “in a stage right now where the parties themselves are trying to make progress.” But she added that the United States remains ready to help the process along.

Britain sees itself as something of a bridge nation between the United States and the European Union, and Blair considers himself the linchpin in that framework.

“Britain can help Europeans understand America and Americans to understand Europeans,” the prime minister said. “It’s important we do play a role.”

But Rice articulated a different vision. “I don’t think that the president sees Prime Minister Blair as some sort of intermediary with the European allies,” she said, “and I don’t think the British would want to be put in that position.”

For all the focus on international affairs, Bush and Blair also are likely to discuss domestic issues, Rice predicted.

“One of the issues that I think they apparently share a very great interest in is education. They probably will talk about that,” she said. “But I don’t really think that the labels around this are particularly helpful. They can talk about a whole range of issues dealing with social and other concerns in a postindustrial environment.”

Blair is also scheduled to meet with Vice President Dick Cheney. Blair visited Canada before flying to the U.S.

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Chen reported from Washington and Miller from London.