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Blair to Meet Bush Amid Close British-US Ties
British Prime Minister Tony Blair is scheduled to head for a visit to the United States this week for his first meeting with President George W. Bush.
Blair, who enjoyed a very close political relation with former U.S. president Bill Clinton, will arrive Washington Thursday with a fresh demonstration of Britain's commitment to the "special relationship" in the form of joint air strikes against Iraq last week.
But British media said such actions strained Blair's ties with European partners, who are more interested in the establishment of European rapid development force which can carry out independent military roles outside NATO.
"The prime minister has always seen the notion that we have to choose between the United States and Europe as a false choice, and also a foolish choice," Blair's official spokesman, Alastair Campbell, told reporters on Tuesday.
Blair's North American visit begins Wednesday in the Canadian capital, Ottawa.
He will arrive Thursday in Washington, where he will meet with Vice President Dick Cheney before flying to Presidential Bush's retreat at Camp David, Maryland.
He will hold talks, and a first-ever handshake, with Bush and then fly back to London on Saturday.
Defense and trade will be on top of the agenda during the summit.
Many European countries are worrying that Bush's plans for a National Missile Defense system, dubbed as "Son of Star Wars," may trigger a new arms race between U.S. and Russia.
But Blair's government has said it understood American concerns.
"It is a very sensitive issue. My own judgment is that provided we handle it with care, there is a way through which meets America 's objectives and other people's concerns," Blair said in an interview given last week.
Campbell said the Bush-Blair meeting was unlikely to produce a more concrete response, because US plans had yet to be formalized.
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