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Bush under fire on Europe visit

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Bush with Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace  


LONDON, England -- U.S. President George W. Bush is in London at the start of a six-day European tour in which some of his administration's policies will come under close scrutiny.

He is scheduled to meet Queen Elizabeth on Thursday before holding talks with UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Bush is then due to travel on to Italy to take part in the G8 summit in Genoa, where he said his message will be: "lower taxes, less regulation and free trade."

But the president can expect to be grilled on his decision to abandon the Kyoto global warming deal and his ambitions for a missile defense system.

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As he left the U.S for the UK, Bush indicated he would be standing firm on both issues. Fears have been raised in Europe, and by China, that developing a missile defence shield would mean ripping up the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty and threaten a new arms race.

But Bush told BBC television: "We should not adhere to a treaty that prevents the United States and other freedom-loving people from developing defences -- not offensive weapons but defences."

Bush laid out an equally tough stance on his decision to withdraw from the 1997 Kyoto agreement that aims to combat global warming by limiting greenhouse gas emissions.

"We believe that we ought to all work together to reduce greenhouse gases," he said. "However the (Kyoto) protocol that I inherited is not the proper way to proceed. We share the goals but the methodology needs to be assessed."

The European Union has been a major driving force in trying to get Kyoto ratified and onto the statue books of parliaments across the globe.

But it is Japan -- which has a delegation in Bonn, Germany, for a global warming conference -- that has become the key player, with the power to make or break the treaty.

If Japan sides with the U.S. it is highly unlikely that the cuts in greenhouse gas emissions dictated by the protocol will go ahead. If Japan agrees with Europe to press on with Kyoto regardless of Washington the treaty could progress.

Bush landed at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on Air Force One at 8.45 p.m. local time (1545 ET) for his first state visit to Britain since becoming U.S. president in January.

During his six days in Europe he will have talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, an audience with Pope John Paul in Rome and visit Kosovo.

But it begins with a meeting with Blair in which the Northern Ireland peace process will be high on the agenda. In an interview with a British newspaper on Wednesday, the U.S. president called on all parties in Northern Ireland to honour the Good Friday peace accord.

He stressed the need for paramilitary groups to disarm -- one of the main problems undermining the accord -- and said he stood "ready to help" Blair and his Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern in the peace process.

He told The Times: "My government stands side by side with those two governments and those two leaders in urging all sides to decommission, to disarm."

Blair has yet to state his government's position on the U.S. plan to shoot down incoming missiles despite coming under pressure from party colleagues to oppose it.

Last week, the U.S. successfully downed a ballistic missile over the Pacific Ocean in a test of the technology, despite protests from both Russia and China.

British agreement is vital to the scheme, as it would require the upgrading of U.S. radar bases in England, at Fylingdales and Menwith Hill, both in North Yorkshire.

On Thursday Bush is due to have lunch with the Queen at Buckingham Palace before going to Chequers, the prime minister's official country residence, for an afternoon of talks.

Earlier this week, Bush said the visit would "confirm and renew" the strong relationship between the UK and the U.S..

On Blair, he said: "We've got a strong personal relationship that is most helpful to making sure our countries continue the tie that binds."

While in London, the president and his wife Laura will also visit the Cabinet War Rooms to view memorabilia linked to former British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill -- one of his heroes. They will also visit the British Museum, where they will read to schoolchildren.

After spending Thursday night at Chequers, the president will fly on to Genoa for the G8 summit which starts on Friday.






RELATED STORIES:
RELATED SITES:
• Genoa G8
• Europa - The European Union On-Line
• European Council, Gothenburg, 15-16 June 2001

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