US:US PRESIDENT George Bush opened his final tour of Europe yesterday with a warning that Iran would be "incredibly dangerous for world peace" if it managed to arm itself with nuclear weapons.
After previous visits marked by public protest over his policy in Iraq, Mr Bush was kept well away from the public yesterday in anticipation of demonstrators who failed to materialise.
In Slovenia and Germany, the president's first stops, newspapers explained to their apathetic readers yesterday the meaning of the term "lame duck president".
But at an EU-US summit near Ljubljana yesterday, Mr Bush was anxious to show he has much to do before leaving office. Top of his list is firm action against Iran, three years after it began its uranium enrichment programme.
"Now is the time for strong diplomacy," said Mr Bush. "If they end up with a nuclear weapon, the free world's going to say, 'Why didn't we do something about it at the time before they developed it'?"
After arriving in Berlin yesterday evening, Mr Bush joined Chancellor Angela Merkel for a dinner and informal talks about the Middle East and economic matters.
The two leaders get on well and have improved dramatically relations strained by the Iraq war. However, neither is holding out hope of any policy breakthroughs.
Instead they will stick to the symbolic, marking the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift when the US overcame the Soviet road blocks of West Berlin by supplying food and fuel from the air.
Mr Bush is hoping to make headway with Dr Merkel on the EU's 11-year import ban on American poultry treated with chlorinated water.
Poultry exports are worth just $20 million (€13 million), a minuscule contribution to total trade worth $600 billion, but it is seen in Washington as a test of the effectiveness of a transatlantic trade council set up last year.
On climate change, Mr Bush said yesterday he was optimistic of reaching an agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions before leaving office.
But Dr Merkel has little hope of that due to the president's refusal to agree binding targets unless developing countries such as India and China get on board first. Later today, Mr Bush will fly on to Rome, followed by stops in Paris, London and Belfast.
