Washington, September 20, SPA -- U.S. President George W. Bush met with Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah to discuss issues of common interest and importance, such as the Iraq war, international security, and the economy. After their private meeting in the Oval Office of the White House, Bush and Sheikh Al-Sabah made brief public statements to reassert their bond. Calling Kuwait a “strategic partner of the United States,” Bush thanked Kuwait for being a ‘friend’ of the United States. Bush said that Kuwait’s appointment of an ambassador to Iraq is “recognition…that a stable and peaceful Iraq is in your [Kuwaiti] interests. And we support those interests.” Bush also said he told the Prime Minister about the importance of maintaining security in the Middle East.--MORE www.spa.gov.sa/591587