Bush, EU leaders discuss global goals

KRANJ, Slovenia, June 10 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush, in Slovenia Tuesday, reaffirmed his support for a strong Europe capable of partnering with the United States to advance freedom.

Bush met with European Union leaders, Slovenian Prime Minister and current European Council President Janez Jansa and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso at Brdo Castle near Kranj, Slovenia, as part of the EU summit.

Noting Slovenia was once a Communist country, Bush said the EU meeting was a "compelling example of the success of our common vision" of a free, peaceful Europe.

The U.S.-European commercial relationship anchors the world economy, Bush said. Bush and European Union leaders discussed how to remove barriers to increase trade and investment to grow economies and help raise people from poverty.

Bush and his counterparts also reaffirmed the dual-track strategy concerning Iran's nuclear aspirations. They agreed to implement U.N. Security Council sanctions, and said additional measures could be considered.