Howard, Bush show relationship remains strong
Posted 27 minutes ago
LtoR: Prime Minister John Howard and President George W Bush have agreed to forge closer defence ties between their nations. (AFP: Jim Watson)
Prime Minister John Howard and US President George W Bush have spent the day demonstrating the strength of their relationship and have agreed to work towards making the military ties even closer.
Iraq is a politically sensitive topic in both countries, but Mr Bush and Mr Howard have both defended their positions.
Mr Bush says progress is being made in Iraq, while Mr Howard says he will keep Australian troops in Iraq until they are no longer needed.
"Australian forces will remain at their present levels in Iraq, not based on any calendar, but based on conditions in the ground," Mr Howard said.
Later in the day, they joined soldiers, sailors and airmen who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan for a lunch that Mr Bush was anxious to get to.
"Looking forward for you to buy me lunch today, I'm a meat guy," he said.
There, Mr Bush thanked Australia for keeping its forces in the Middle East.
"Thanks for making the sacrifice necessary for peace," he said.
"The work you're doing is necessary work and we're going to win."
Also at the top of their agenda,
the two nations agreed to forge closer defence ties between their nations.
Mr Bush has agreed to make it easier for Australians to buy high-tech US military equipment.
Mr Howard also told his guest that a US President is always welcome in Australia.
"We have no closer alliance with any country in the world," Mr Howard said.
Mr Bush will meet Labor leader Kevin Rudd tomorrow.
Nuclear deal
Meanwhile,
Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer says Australia will not be taking nuclear waste as a result of a plan to sign up to the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership.
Mr Howard announced today that the US would support Australia's bid to join the partnership, which was proposed after talks between the Australian and US two leaders.
But Green groups and the Federal Opposition maintain the agreement could lead to Australia taking nuclear waste from overseas, a suggestion Mr Downer has quashed.
"We're not signing up to every detail of the drafts that have been promoted publicly and one of the things we won't be signing up to is accepting nuclear waste in Australia, we've always said that," he said.
But Greenpeace chief executive Steve Shallhorn says the plan does not commit Australia to nuclear power immediately, because Mr Howard is aware of its unpopularity amongst voters.
"Today's announcement by the Australian Government seems in fact to be a non-announcement," he said.
"They've gone through great pains to distance themselves from any commitment on nuclear power in the short term."
The discussions on nuclear power between the two countries stemmed from climate change issues, with the US President praising the Australian Government's support for nuclear power as an anti-greenhouse measure.
http://www.abc.com.au/news/stories/2007/09/05/2025245.htm