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American Morning

Bush Meets With World Leaders at G-8

Aired June 02, 2003 - 09:03   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the Group of Eight summit. President Bush told reporters this morning that he and French President Jacques Chirac were "very honest with each other about Iraq." The meeting just before Mr. Bush heads to Egypt appears to be part of an effort to smooth over U.S. relations with world leaders who opposed the war with Baghdad.
Senior European political correspondent Robin Oakley now live in Publier, France to track the latest from there, what's being said publicly and perhaps privately, as well -- Robin, good afternoon.

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Bill.

There was a pretty amiable look to the class photo when the leaders got together for the last function that George Bush will be joining them in before he heads off to Egypt to drive on with that Middle East peace process. There had to have been a lot of worry about how he and Jacques Chirac were going to get on. It was crucial that they put on a good show of reconciliation. Of course, they haven't stopped disagreeing about the basics of the war in Iraq, but they have learned to manage their disagreements, it seems.

There was an amiable session this morning, with them both putting their arms around each other, Jacques Chirac having a big smile of relief at the end of it. And they put the focus very much in their talks on the Middle East peace process. Jacques Chirac saying that the G8 countries, the European Union and, of course, France, would be fully behind the president in his efforts to drive on with that Middle East peace process. George Bush, in his turn, praised Jacques Chirac, saying he was a man with great experience in the Middle East. He'd been listening to what he had to say about the Middle East peace process.

And really it was a good show that will enable the others to have the confidence to take things forward on the economy, because there are a lot of other issues running here in Evian, particularly worries about the sliding dollar, the dollar sliding against the euro and against the yen. That's giving worries about exports in Japan and the euro zone countries, worries about world growth and whether they're going to be able to do all they want to do in terms of debt relief and better provision for the African and developing nations -- Bill.

HEMMER: Robin, certainly those stories are getting a lot of attention in this country.

What's the resonance across Europe right now, especially in France? OAKLEY: In terms of the feeling between Jacques Chirac and President Bush, I think the French public are now very much feeling that the fight, as it were, between the U.S. and France over Iraq, it's time for that to pass. There has never been a quarrel with the American people. But, of course, they recognize now that there is a feeling of disappointment in the U.S. that France seemed to be heading the opposition to the war in Iraq, which was taken in the U.S. as being something against the whole battle against terrorism.

In France, too, there is still some feeling, clearly, among the French administration headed by Jacques Chirac, that America was determined to have that war in Iraq whatever else happened and whatever they said in the diplomacy leading up to it -- Bill.

HEMMER: Robin, thanks.

Robin Oakley live in Publier, France.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired June 2, 2003 - 09:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the Group of Eight summit. President Bush told reporters this morning that he and French President Jacques Chirac were "very honest with each other about Iraq." The meeting just before Mr. Bush heads to Egypt appears to be part of an effort to smooth over U.S. relations with world leaders who opposed the war with Baghdad.
Senior European political correspondent Robin Oakley now live in Publier, France to track the latest from there, what's being said publicly and perhaps privately, as well -- Robin, good afternoon.

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Bill.

There was a pretty amiable look to the class photo when the leaders got together for the last function that George Bush will be joining them in before he heads off to Egypt to drive on with that Middle East peace process. There had to have been a lot of worry about how he and Jacques Chirac were going to get on. It was crucial that they put on a good show of reconciliation. Of course, they haven't stopped disagreeing about the basics of the war in Iraq, but they have learned to manage their disagreements, it seems.

There was an amiable session this morning, with them both putting their arms around each other, Jacques Chirac having a big smile of relief at the end of it. And they put the focus very much in their talks on the Middle East peace process. Jacques Chirac saying that the G8 countries, the European Union and, of course, France, would be fully behind the president in his efforts to drive on with that Middle East peace process. George Bush, in his turn, praised Jacques Chirac, saying he was a man with great experience in the Middle East. He'd been listening to what he had to say about the Middle East peace process.

And really it was a good show that will enable the others to have the confidence to take things forward on the economy, because there are a lot of other issues running here in Evian, particularly worries about the sliding dollar, the dollar sliding against the euro and against the yen. That's giving worries about exports in Japan and the euro zone countries, worries about world growth and whether they're going to be able to do all they want to do in terms of debt relief and better provision for the African and developing nations -- Bill.

HEMMER: Robin, certainly those stories are getting a lot of attention in this country.

What's the resonance across Europe right now, especially in France? OAKLEY: In terms of the feeling between Jacques Chirac and President Bush, I think the French public are now very much feeling that the fight, as it were, between the U.S. and France over Iraq, it's time for that to pass. There has never been a quarrel with the American people. But, of course, they recognize now that there is a feeling of disappointment in the U.S. that France seemed to be heading the opposition to the war in Iraq, which was taken in the U.S. as being something against the whole battle against terrorism.

In France, too, there is still some feeling, clearly, among the French administration headed by Jacques Chirac, that America was determined to have that war in Iraq whatever else happened and whatever they said in the diplomacy leading up to it -- Bill.

HEMMER: Robin, thanks.

Robin Oakley live in Publier, France.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com