MAINZ, Germany -President Bush and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder insisted yesterday that Iran must not have nuclear weapons but remained divided on how to coax Tehran into giving up its suspected ambitions for such an arsenal.
It's vital that the Iranians hear the world speak with one voice that they shouldn't have a nuclear weapon
Bush said at a news conference with the German leader.
Both sought to play down the differences between the United States and Europe.
We absolutely agree that Iran must say no to any kind of nuclear weapon Schroeder said.
Bush made his nine-hour stop in Mainz during a trip to Belgium, Germany and Slovakia, where the president meets today with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Schroeder wants Bush to more actively engage with talks led by Germany, France and Britain that offer incentives to Tehran, such as membership in the World Trade Organization in return for dropping its uranium enrichment program.
There needs to be movement on both sides Schroeder said.
Bush backs the European diplomacy but frowns on the idea of rewarding Iran for breaking the nonproliferation treaty that prohibits it from making nuclear fuel or for sponsoring terrorist groups in Israel such as Hezbollah.
We will work with them to convince the mullahs that they need to give up their nuclear ambitions
Bush said of the Europeans.
He added: The reason we're having these discussions is because they were caught enriching uranium after they had signed a treaty saying they wouldn't enrich uranium. ... They're the party that needs to be held to account
not any of us.
From Tehran, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said Iran will not permanently halt a nuclear program it insists is designed only for peaceful purposes.
Neither my government nor any other (Iranian) government can give up the definite right of the Iranian nation to have peaceful nuclear technology
Khatami said. We have to give objective guarantees to the (European) gentlemen that we won't divert from the peaceful path. They must also ... give objective guarantees that our rights and security will be protected.
Also yesterday, Bush addressed about 3,000 U.S. troops at Wiesbaden Air Base in Germany, many who had just returned from Iraq. And he toured a museum dedicated to Mainz native Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the printing press, with Schroeder and their wives.
At a round-table meeting with young Germans, Bush emphasized the close relationship he and Schroeder have with the Russian leader, who is under criticism from the West for rolling back some democratic reforms.
I expressed some concerns at the European Union yesterday about some of the decisions such as freedom of the press that our mutual friend has made
Bush said. I look forward to talking with him about his decision-making process.
A senior administration official, who briefed reporters on Air Force One on the flight to Germany, said Bush rejects Putin's defense of his tightening of government controls. An argument that `My people need a strong ruler -me' is an argument that does not fit with the way the president talks about democracy
said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Bush and Schroeder seemed resigned to differences on issues such as global warming and, especially, the U.S.-led war in Iraq that Germany so vehemently opposed.
Now
our joint interest is that we come to a stable
democratic Iraq
Schroeder said.
Even though Germany refuses to go into that war-torn nation, Schroeder noted its role in training Iraqi security officers in the United Arab Emirates and its willingness to help the new Iraqi government draft a constitution or establish ministries.
I fully understand the limitations of German contributions
