Bush Speech to Endorse Strong, United Europe

In a new drive to heal America’s rift with France and Germany over Iraq, President Bush today will endorse unequivocally the concept of a united Europe and declare that a rejuvenated transatlantic alliance is “essential to peace and prosperity” around the world, the White House said Sunday.

Bush’s strongest support to date for the 25-member European Union -- a growing political and economic powerhouse -- seems designed in part to quash suspicions in some European quarters that Washington would gladly countenance a divided Europe to perpetuate U.S. dominance in global affairs.

But in coming down unstintingly in favor of “Europe’s democratic unity,” the president also appears to be rejecting the view among some conservatives in the United States that a united Europe would loom as a challenger to America’s interests.

Instead, Bush’s speech appears to signal Washington’s open acceptance of a strong and growing European Union as an equal partner -- and of a policy of the United States not going it alone.

As Bush arrived in Belgium on Sunday night to begin four days of fence-mending visits with European leaders, the White House released excerpts of today’s speech, which is intended to set a conciliatory tone for the president’s first foreign trip of his second term.

“America supports Europe’s democratic unity for the same reason we support the spread of democracy in the Middle East -- because freedom leads to peace,” Bush will say in the speech. “And America supports a strong Europe because we need a strong partner in the hard work of advancing freedom in the world.”

In calling for a strengthened transatlantic partnership, the president will say that the United States and Europe face “a moment of consequence and opportunity” and describe their alliance as “the main pillar of our security in a new century.”

“Our robust trade is one of the engines of the world economy. Our example of economic and political freedom gives hope to millions who are weary of poverty and oppression,” Bush plans to say. “In all these ways, our strong friendship is essential to peace and prosperity across the globe -- and no temporary debate, no passing disagreement of governments, no power on Earth will ever divide us.”

The speech, to a gathering of European business and political leaders, is scheduled this afternoon. Bush also will meet today and Tuesday with leaders of several countries -- including Belgium, Britain, Italy and Ukraine -- as well as of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He is scheduled to dine tonight with French President Jacques Chirac, a vocal critic of the Iraq war.

On Wednesday, Bush will go to Mainz, Germany, to confer with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, another opponent of the Iraq war. Bush on Thursday travels to Bratislava, Slovakia, to meet with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, who also opposed the U.S.-led war.

European opposition to the war strained relations with Washington, but now that dictator Saddam Hussein has been ousted and voters in Iraq have cast ballots for a transitional national assembly, all the leaders, including Bush, have said they would like to move on and emphasize common ground.

Despite his hopes of repairing the transatlantic alliance and enlisting Europe to transform the Middle East, Bush faces daunting challenges, with an array of strategic issues unresolved. Chief among them is how to contain Iran’s nuclear ambitions. In addition, the U.S. opposes a plan by the Europeans to end an arms embargo on China.

“You can expect the president will call for common action to address our common challenges,” White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan told reporters aboard Air Force One as it flew to Brussels.

The sentiments in Bush’s speech are unlikely to surprise leaders in Europe. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telegraphed the themes widely as she traveled across the continent this month, and the president laid the groundwork Friday when he gave interviews to European reporters at the White House.

“Look, we want the EU to be successful,” he said at one point.

During those interviews, Bush tacitly accepted partial blame for the falling-out between the United States and France, Germany and Russia over the invasion of Iraq, saying that his “intense focus” on the war led to misunderstandings that caused leaders to “talk past” one another.

Now is the time, he added, “to seize the moment and invigorate a relationship that is a vital relationship for our own security as well as a vital relationship for long-term peace in the world.”

Bush also said he would emphasize shared values and goals during his visit, such as combating disease and famine.

“We compete at times -- but we don’t compete when it comes to values, and that’s a very important part of my message,” Bush said. “We share a belief in human rights and human dignity and rule of law and transparency of government and democracy and freedom.”

As a further conciliatory gesture, Bush said he intended to bring up the Kyoto treaty on climate change, an international pact to curb the emission of gases that trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. The United States -- the largest producer of such gases -- has rejected the treaty, much to Europe’s dismay.

Bush said he would remind critics that the U.S. was spending “billions on clean coal technology.”

The White House in October began “thinking about” having Bush travel to Europe shortly after the election, according to a senior administration official briefing reporters on Air Force One.

“This is not a case of the United States simply talking about our agenda,” the official said. “It’s a case of our talking about a common agenda.”