After Meeting with Bush, Schröder Urges "Strengthened" U.N. Role in Iraq

Following months of silence, U.S. President George W. Bush and Chancellor Schröder finally made up Wednesday at their first face-to-face meeting in 16 months.

Both leaders declared the dispute that arose over Schröder's refusal to support the military invasion of Iraq for over.

"Gerhard and I just had a good meeting ... look, we've had differences, and they're over, and we're going to work together," Bush told reporters as the two sat in chairs at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. Schröder agreed.

"Germany has a vested interest in a democratic and stable Iraq, and to that effect, it's not just important to Iraq itself but the whole region," Schröder told reporters after the 40-minute meeting. He repeated his offer of training Iraqi police and military in German colleges.

"We have the capacities, and we want to use them in the interest of increased security," Schröder said.

Schröder says only U.N. can help Iraq

The two leaders were in New York City for a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, where the security council is expected to pass a resolution on U.N. involvement in postwar Iraq.

France, Russia and Germany are at odds with the U.S. over a draft resolution the Bush administration wants to bring towards the Security Council. All three want political power in Iraqi hands much quicker than the United States foresees.

During a 15-minute speech to the U.N. on Wednesday afternoon, however, Schröder avoided mention of the differences simply urging the U.N. role "to be strengthened" in Iraq.

"Only the United Nations can guarantee the legitimacy necessary to enable the Iraqi people to rapidly rebuild their country under an independent, representative government," he said.

Schröder became the first German chancellor to address the United Nations since Willy Brandt in 1973.

Mending transatlantic ties

As one of the most vocal critics of the war, Schröder very quickly got on Bush's bad list. Aside from a brief handshake at the G-8 summit in France in June, the two had no contact with one another.

But following positive remarks by Bush this week showing understanding for the German anti-war stance, it appeared both leaders were prepared to put the traditionally strong ties between the two countries back on track.

Schröder reiterated that he would not send German peacekeepers to Iraq, but he said it was apparent to Bush and others that Germany was pulling its weight by deploying thousands of troops to help stabilize Afghanistan.

Common German-French position

Though Schröder didn't refer to the resolution directly in his speech, he mentioned that his country's "common position with France ... should be respected."

In an earlier interview, Schröder said he was pleased France, as a permanent member of the Security Council, would not use its veto to block the new resolution the United States was drafting.

In the interview with German television channel ZDF on Tuesday Schröder praised Bush’s speech to the U.N. General Assembly, saying he was pleased that Bush had made “very positive” comments regarding the United Nations and that it was “noteworthy” that the U.S. president had mentioned serious issues like child slavery and forced prostitution.