Bush, Talabani note progress made in Iraq

WASHINGTON, June 25 (UPI) -- Progress has been made in unifying Iraq but much work remains, U.S. President George Bush and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said in Washington.

"There's still a lot of work to be done, we recognize that," Bush said Wednesday during a brief meeting with White House reporters. "We talked about a strategic framework agreement that suits the Iraq government. We talked about elections and different laws that have been passed."

The president said he complimented the Iraqi leader for the work completed during the legislative session and how security in the country has improved.

As expected, Talabani said he and Bush discussed a security agreement between the United Sates and Iraq regarding U.S. troop presence in Iraq, as well as "our cooperation in our struggle against terrorism, for promotion of democracy in Iraq and Middle East."

Large portions of Iraq are stable, secure and "liberated from the danger of terrorism and militia," Talabani said, thanks to the support of the U.S. Army and government.

"I can say that we are proud to have achieved good successes in Iraq, and our economy is growing," he said.