Bush's positive signal to Blair

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, DEC. 26. The British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair is set to become the first ``European'' leader in office to meet Mr. George W. Bush after his inauguration as the U.S. President on January 20.

The meeting, which is likely to take place within weeks of Mr. Bush's installation according to a report from Washington, is significant for Mr. Blair whose identification with the Clinton administration had come to be seen as a handicap for Britain in sustaining its ``special relationship'' with the U.S. under a Republican President.

The summit, as the Labour Government would like to call it, will boost Mr. Blair's political morale not only at home where Tories would be deprived of yet another chance to score points but also in relation to Europe which is in for a difficult phase in its relations with Washington over security issues. By singling out the British Prime Minister for his first summit with a European ally, the new President would be reinforcing Britain's critical role in the trans-Atlantic alliance.

Washington, of course, has its own reasons to flatter Mr. Blair. Its plans for a national missile defence system, which Europe fiercely opposes, depend crucially on Britain's support. For one of the major NMD-related facilities - an early warning system - would need to be installed in North Yorkshire and if Britain chooses to play difficult (there is opposition to the NMD even within the Blair administration) American plans could go awry. In his meeting with Mr. Blair, the new U.S. President is expected to bring up the issue and soften him. This will be the first meeting between the two men and even if there is no concrete outcome it should give both an early chance to get a measure of each other.

Mr. Blair has been keen to overcome the Clinton baggage and was the first foreign leader to call up Mr. Bush and congratulate him on his election.

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Section  : International
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