Bush begins last Europe tour hoping to keep pressure on Iran

Ahead of the summit near Ljubljana, the US leader, already dismissed by some officials in Brussels as a "lame duck," held talks with Slovenian President Danilo Turk, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency.

"My first trip to Europe as president began in Slovenia and my last as president to Europe," Bush said as he arrived, recalling his June 2001 meeting with then Russian president Vladimir Putin, which actually came at the end of a European tour.

This time round Bush also hopes to secure more help with war-battered Afghanistan during his visit, which will also take him to Germany, Italy, the Vatican, France, England, and Northern Ireland.

But the White House has warned not to expect any "dramatic announcements" on enduring disputes over climate change, trade, an EU ban on US chlorine-washed chickens or new ways to prop up the faltering Middle East peace process.

Many observers agree that EU-US relations have improved since the early days of the Iraq war, however polls show that Europeans are looking forward to the change of US administration, especially if Democrat candidate Barack Obama takes power.

There will be a joint statement following the summit at Brdo Pri Kranju, near the Slovenian capital, in which Washington and its European partners will jointly warn Tehran to freeze its suspect nuclear program or face "additional measures".

At the same time, amid growing fears of possible US military action before Bush leaves office, the draft of the joint text of the half-day diplomatic gathering notes that the leaders "reiterate our belief that a mutually satisfactory, negotiated solution remains open to Iran."

Tehran rejects Western charges that its nuclear programme hides an atomic weapons quest, but is already under three rounds of UN sanctions for refusing to freeze its uranium enrichment efforts.

Bush hopes to persuade the EU to do more to stop the flow of money through Iranian banks, which Washington believes are helping to fund Iran’s nuclear programme.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, in Slovenia for the summit, has indicated that he will probably travel to Tehran on Sunday for talks aimed at convincing Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment activities.

Solana will present Iranian leaders with a "refreshed" offer on behalf of the six major powers involved in the nuclear talks -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- who came up with a deal last month to build on an original offer in June 2006.

The European Union and the United States will also call on the UN secretary general to send a team to Zimbabwe to monitor human rights ahead of a presidential run-off election this month, according to the draft statement.

The United States said Monday it will spend seven million dollars to help international observers ensure that the June 27 presidential election is free and fair, as opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai seeks to end President Robert Mugabe’s 28-year rule.

Bush and his European hosts, including EU commission Chief Jose Manuel Barroso, were also discussing climate change and energy security.

Washington believes that climate change can only be effectively tackled if major emerging economies like China and India make commitments, while the Europeans favor leading the way on the issue to encourage others.

On this and other issues the Europeans seem to be looking to the post-Bush era, however US officials in Slovenia insisted that those expecting too much change on issues such as climate change might be disappointed if they look at comments made by Obama and his Republican rival John McCain.