Mr Tony Blair and Mr Gerhard Schröder put aside their differences over the Iraq war yesterday and called for the swift reconstruction of the country with a central role for the United Nations.
The two leaders, meeting for the first time since the beginning of the war that put them at loggerheads, smiled and shook hands with Mr Blair referring to his German counterpart as "my good friend, Gerhard Schröder".
"Whatever differences there were before the war, the state of our bilateral relations is extremely strong," said Mr Blair, in Hanover yesterday.
The Chancellor said Germany had a "human obligation" to offer whatever help it could to treat injured Iraqis, particularly children, and would provide any assistance it could.
"I am very pleased that we agree in principle about the role to be assumed by the UN, whether you call it a vital or central role.
"It is now up to the diplomats to hammer out the finer points," he said, echoing similar remarks from Mr Blair.
Mr Schröder, one of the loudest opponents of the Iraq war, chose his words carefully when asked how he felt about the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime.
"Whenever a dictator falls it is a gain for the people, not just in the country but around the world.
"Whenever a dispute arises, it is not about the rights or wrongs of the dispute but the ways and means of dealing with the crisis," he said.
"I hope the military victory can be turned into a gain for the people of Iraq and for the international community, but it will take a lot of work to achieve that."
Mr Blair stressed that the war was not yet over and that there were difficulties still ahead.
Asked about growing fears about the humanitarian situation, he said British forces were doing everything they could to protect hospitals and ensure supplies got through.
The French President, Mr Jacques Chirac, and US counterpart Mr George W. Bush took a small step yesterday towards bridging their deep differences over the war in Iraq, speaking for the first time in two months.
The 20-minute telephone conversation - their first contact since February 7th - came at Mr Chirac's initiative, with his spokesman Ms Catherine Colonna calling it a "positive" exchange.