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August 11, 2007

Bush Hosts French President For Vacation Lunch
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=189148F:A6F02AD83191E160373455E56C2DADF69574F7DCC14957C0 President and first
lady meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Sarkozy at Bush family's compound in
Kennebunkport, Maine





This picture taken 10 Aug 2007 shows Walker's Point, US President
George W. Bush family compound in KennebunkportU.S. President George
Bush will host French President Nicolas Sarkozy for a casual lunch at
the Bush family's Atlantic coast compound in the northeastern state of
Maine Saturday.

Mr. Bush and his wife Laura invited Mr. Sarkozy and his wife Cecilia
for the get-together in Kennebunkport while the French couple spend
their summer vacation in the neighboring state of New Hampshire.

A White House spokeswoman, Dana Perino, said Friday the lunch is
informal, but that the two leaders would likely talk about issues the
two countries have cooperated on in the past, including Iran, Lebanon
and Sudan.

White House officials say the lunch marks the beginning of a new era
of relations between the two countries. Relations broke down under
previous French President Jacques Chirac over disagreements on the
Iraq War, climate changes and other matters.

Mr. Sarkozy won elections in May and promised to improve ties with the
United States.

The French president returned home Friday to attend the funeral in
Paris of Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, the retired archbishop of
Paris. Mr. Sarkozy then prepared to head right back to the United
States for the meeting with Mr. Bush.

The Sarkozys will meet privately with the extended Bush family,
including former President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara. The
White House says President Bush may also invite the French president
for a boat ride as he did with Russian President Vladimir Putin when
he visited the Bush compound in July.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.


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