Bush touts hurricane recovery effort

NEW ORLEANS, April 22 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush touted the rebuilding efforts in New Orleans with the leaders of Canada and Mexico who met in the Big Easy.

The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune reported Tuesday that Bush and his fellow heads of state, Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian President Stephen Harper, had no plans to tour the city, where recovery efforts from 2005 hurricanes Katrina and Rita are still under way.

On Monday, speaking to a meeting of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Bush said federal investment in the Gulf Coast recovery effort is yielding returns.

"You can see hope in the fact that people are absolutely determined to make it better than it was before," Bush said. "For all of you who contributed to the resurgence of New Orleans, I want to thank you on behalf of a grateful nation."

For his part, Calderon paid tribute to post-Katrina recovery efforts by Mexicans as he and Bush reopened a Mexican consulate.

"Our ties were strengthened with the tragedies of devastation from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita," he said in Spanish. "Thousands of Mexicans participated in the reconstruction, and I'm happy today to see New Orleans standing and working."