In Brussels, Bush Calls for Unity

US President George W. Bush started off his European visit urging allies to move past Iraq divisions and work together toward peace in the Middle East. On Monday, the US president met with European Union and NATO leaders in Brussels, where he gave a keynote speech stressing the need to move beyond the bitter divisions that sent transatlantic relations plummeting to their lowest point since World War II. He also urged cooperation on Iran and the Middle East and urged Russia to renew its commitment to democracy. It is Bush's first overseas trip since the beginning of his second term in office and during his speech before an audience in the 19th century Concert Noble Hall, he struck a note that was more conciliatory than the go-it-alone attitude prevalent during his first term that was widely criticized by European leaders. "Together we can once again set history on a hopeful course," he said, urging the EU to help reconstruct Iraq, adding that he wanted to work in partnership with a united Europe. In a move aimed at easing transatlantic tensions during Bush's visit, on Monday EU foreign ministers approved a plan to train 770 senior Iraqi police officers and judges in the EU and in countries near Iraq. The mission is due to start in mid-2005 and could be extended to Iraq if the security situation on the ground there improves.