WASHINGTON, June 9 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush traveled Monday to Europe, saying he plans to urge NATO allies to maintain their military commitments in Afghanistan.
"I'm looking forward to talking about the freedom agenda with the European nations. Got a lot of work to do in Afghanistan," Bush said before departing Washington. "The countries I'm going to have committed troops to Afghanistan, and, of course, want to thank them, and remind them there's a lot of work to be done."
Also on the agenda are discussions about the high fuel prices and the strength of the U.S. dollar on the world market, Bush said.
"We'll remind our friends and allies overseas that we're all too dependent on hydrocarbons," Bush said. "We must work to advance technologies to help us become less dependent on hydrocarbons."
Bush said he'll also discuss how the United States can boost global oil supplies by opening drilling in the Alaskan National Wilderness Refuge and on the Continental Shelf, which he has asked the U.S. Congress to approve.
"I'll talk about our nation's commitment to a strong dollar," he said. "A strong dollar is in our nation's interests. It is in the interests of the global economy."
