Bush pushes for free trade on Peru trip

LIMA, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush called on leaders meeting in Peru Saturday to embrace free trade despite recent global economic uncertainty.

Speaking to leaders at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Lima, Bush said member nations should work to create a region of "free markets, free trade and free people," the BBC reported.

Even though Bush has only two more months as president, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said the president is confident he can still be effective in efforts to persuade countries attending the conference to line up with moves to end the global economic crisis made this month by the G20 summit in Washington.

Perino also said Bush had addressed concerns about North Korea ahead of the conference with Chinese President Hu Jintao, The New York Times reported, saying Bush urged the Chinese leader to work toward a formal "verification protocol" under which the United States, China and others in the "six-party talks" could verify Pyongyang was following through on promises to dismantle its nuclear weapons program.