Tuesday, June 28 2005 09:44 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: President George W Bush and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder yesterday (Jun 27, 2005) highlighted a new warmth in US-German relations as Bush promised the United States would not block a German bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC).

Reforms to the United Nations dominated what Bush called "frank" talks at the White House between the two leaders, who had been divided over German opposition to the US war in Iraq.

"We oppose no country's bid for the Security Council," Bush said to the obvious delight of the German leader, who faces a re-election test in September.

Germany has been part of a campaign with Brazil, India and Japan to get permanent seats on the council though it has withdrawn demands for a veto on resolutions that the five current permanent members get.

The United States has so far only endorsed Japan to join Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States as a permanent member.

"I was very pleased indeed to hear that there was no opposition, vis-a-vis Germany as such, from the president," Schroeder said through an interpreter.

"We are very much in agreement that this reform is duly and urgently needed. And it has always been clear that it is first the reform and then the candidacies to potential seats" that must be decided, Schroeder added.

"If you ask me about whether I see differences, I'd possibly say there are differences in the timing; we were pushing to have things happening very quickly," the chancellor added.

Schroeder said that he had pleaded Germany's case for a permanent seat to Bush by highlighting its contribution to stabilization efforts in Afghanistan and the Balkans and to reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

India, Germany, Brazil and Japan are seeking permanent seats in an expanded Security Council.

"Since we're doing all these things internationally, we would very much hope that at some point in time we could also have a right to representation on the Security Council if there were the space," Shroeder said.

The White House meeting added momentum to the Washington-Berlin thaw after their dispute over Iraq.

Bush and Schroeder last met in Germany in February. They will meet again at the Group of Eight industrial powers' summit in Scotland next week.

Schroeder needs good news as Germany will hold a general election in September and Schroeder's Social Democratic Party (SPD) trails the conservative Christian Democrats in opinion polls.

"As we say in Texas, 'This won't be his first rodeo'," commented Bush when asked about the chancellors election hopes.

The US administration is also closely watching efforts by German, Britain and France to convince Iran against developing nuclear weapons - efforts that will attract even more attention after the election of hardliner Mahmood Ahmadinejad as Iran's new President.

Bush said the United States would maintain its support for the European trio though the message to Iran remained blunt.