Bush seeks EU backing for Mideast peace plans
"Together we can once again set history on a hopeful course," Mr Bush said in a keynote speech in Brussels, home of the EU and NATO, pledging to work in partnership with Europe in contrast to the much-criticised go-it-alone thrust of his first term in office.
The speech, on the first day of a European tour, set the tone for his first trip to the continent since his second term began last month.
Amid international attempts to coax Israelis and Palestinians into a peace deal and to support Iraq's fledgling democracy,
Mr Bush bluntly said Syria "must end its occupation of Lebanon" and refused to rule out military force over Iran's refusal to halt its nuclear ambitions.
It was a tough tone that may alarm European publics which strongly opposed the invasion of Iraq.
Bush urged the EU to help reconstruct Iraq, and EU diplomats were in fact putting together a package of assistance that includes plans to train police and judges and offer political support in drafting a new constitution.
Reflecting Western concern at a perceived authoritarian drift in Moscow, Mr Bush made his most pointed public comment in months about the state of Russia's democracy, ahead of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Treading carefully, Mr Bush said the US supports Russian entry into the World Trade Organisation, but that "for Russia to make progress as a European nation, the Russian government must renew a commitment to democracy and the rule of law."
Mr Bush struck a largely conciliatory note, saying he wanted to work in partnership with a united Europe, and received polite applause and a standing ovation when he called for a strong Europe for his speech to a hand-picked audience in the 19th-century Concert Noble hall.
On Iran, Mr Bush said that for the sake of peace Tehran must not develop nuclear weapons and he left open the possibility of military action, while emphasising a diplomatic route.
Later last night President Bush and French President Jacques Chirac said they were committed to patching up differences and restoring good relations despite their disagreement over Iraq.
Mr Chirac said that US-French relations have been "excellent for over 200 years now", adding: "That doesn't necessarily mean we agree on everything at every time."
