Bush and Koizumi exchange thanks for close working partnership over past several years

WASHINGTON — President Bush on Thursday thanked Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi for opening his country's market to American beef, a thorny trade dispute that created tension in a tight personal relationship the two leaders used to strengthen bilateral ties.

Japan agreed last week to lift its ban on U.S. beef imports, pending planned inspections of U.S. meat processing plants. The Asian nation imposed the ban over concerns about mad cow disease.

"I think the Japanese people are going to like the taste of U.S. beef," Bush said of the agreement that gives U.S. ranchers access to a lucrative export market. "As a matter of fact, I had a good slice of U.S. beef last night and you told me you did as well. And you look like you're feeling pretty good."

"Very good," Koizumi replied.

Asserting Japan as an emerging player on the world stage, Koizumi said he and Bush discussed bilateral issues as well as international ones, including Iraq, Afghanistan, poverty and North Korea.

"In the meeting, we discussed not just Japan-U.S. bilateral relations, but numerous challenges that the world community faces today," Koizumi said.

In welcoming Koizumi to the White House, Bush thanked the prime minister for Japan's support in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for its help in confronting North Korea about its nuclear weapons ambitions.

"Decades ago our two fathers looked across the Pacific and saw adversaries, uncertainty and war," Bush told the prime minister at an elaborate arrival ceremony on the South Lawn. "Today their sons look across that same ocean and see friends and opportunity and peace."

Koizumi said there has been no other world leader besides Bush with whom he has felt so much "heart-to-heart" friendship and trust. Asserting Japan's desire to enhance its role as a world leader, Koizumi said he and Bush would discuss bilateral issues as well as global challenges.

"I sincerely hope that my visit this time will enable our two countries to continue to cooperate and develop together and, as allies in the international community, make even greater contributions to the numerous challenges in the world community," said Koizumi, who stopped to shake the hands of Japanese-American children who attend a Japanese language school in Washington.