The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Meseberg

President Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel both want to keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons but they're standing on opposite sides of a revolving door. He's on his way out of office. She's trying to stay in.

Bush's desire to resolve the nuclear standoff with Tehran before his presidency ends was a highlight of talks Wednesday with Merkel at a baroque palace in the countryside outside of Berlin. With her and other European leaders this week, Bush was urging solidarity against Iran in the form of tougher sanctions if the country doesn't stop its uranium enrichment program.

Global warming, Afghanistan and relations with Russia also were expected topics at Bush's meeting with Merkel at Schloss Meseberg, the German government's main guesthouse. After a countryside bike ride that seemed to invigorate Bush, he and Merkel had breakfast and then took a camera-ready stroll through the formal, manicured gardens next to the cream-colored castle.

Bush seemed to want to stay as far as possible from the line of media, steering Merkel down a path that took them away. But minutes later, Merkel steered them back and the two chatted briefly with reporters before moving inside.

The two were also all smiles when the president arrived by helicopter Tuesday night for a dinner that opened their talks. They were to end their discussions over lunch, squeezing in a news conference in the palace's cobblestone courtyard.

Bush is close with Merkel, and has hosted her at his Texas ranch - the less-grand diplomatic equivalent of his invitation here to Schloss Meseberg. Their relationship hit a bump at a recent NATO summit in Romania when they split over whether to give Georgia and Ukraine a path to membership in the alliance, but still is a hugely improved over U.S.-German ties under Merkel's predecessor, Gerhard Schroeder.