Washington, OCT 11, SPA -- President George W. Bush met Tuesday with visiting President Alan Garcia of Peru and said he would push for congressional approval of a free trade agreement between the two countries as soon as possible. The central issue facing us right now is approval of the free trade agreement. I assured the president I would work with Congress as soon as possible to get the agreement passed, Bush told reporters at the White House. Garcia, making his first official visit to the White House since becoming president in July, has embraced the free trade agreement after criticizing it during his election campaign. Peru s legislature already has approved the agreement, but U.S. congressional leaders delayed a vote on the deal until after the November 7 congressional elections. Bush told reporters he greeted Garcia as a friend and hoped their two countries could work together to promote democracy in the region and fight the narcotics trade. In a joint statement, the two leaders underscored the strong relationship between the United States and Peru and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening democracy and expanding free trade in the region. The presidents reaffirmed their commitment to a strong bilateral relationship and to promoting prosperity and social justice for all people of the Americas, the joint statement said.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/395525