VOA News
25 Jun 2003, 18:34 UTC
President Bush and European Union leaders have called on Iran to keep its promise not to produce nuclear weapons.
At their annual summit in Washington Wednesday, the president and E.U. leaders agreed to take tougher steps to fight terrorism, including expanding extradition accords and cracking down on funding for terrorist groups.
At a White House news conference after the summit, President Bush also said he had agreed to work closely with the European Union to meet weapons proliferation challenges posed by North Korea and Iran. Mr. Bush said if the world speaks together, Iran will comply with its pledges not to produce nuclear weapons.
Representing the EU, Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, and European Commission President Romano Prodi emphasized the vital importance of strong ties between Europe and the United States.
Mr. Prodi said when Europe and the United States are united, no problem and no enemy can stand against them, but if they fail to unite, every problem may become a crisis and every enemy a "gigantic monster."
The talks come at a time of strained trans-Atlantic relations, worsened by the Iraq war.
Among the items on Wednesday's agenda was the issue of genetically modified crops, which have been banned in the European Union since 1998 due to health worries.
U.S. officials have expressed concern over the losses incurred by American farmers due to the moratorium. President Bush has also blamed the policy for contributing to famine in Africa - a charge dismissed by EU leaders.
Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.
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