President George W. Bush today defended the dollar and declared pressure would be kept on North Korea as he arrived in Japan for next week’s G8 summit.
“The US believes in a strong dollar policy,” Mr Bush said at a news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in Toyako. He added that the US economy was not growing as quickly as he would like but that it remained fundamentally strong.
The US president also said his country will keep pressing to make sure North Korea fully discloses its nuclear programme and accounts for abducted Japanese citizens.
“There are suspicions about whether or not the north Koreans will be fully forthcoming'' as required under an agreement that opened the way for aid, Mr Bush said. While North Korea has complied with parts of the agreement, “there are more steps to be taken,” he said.
The United States has begun easing a few restrictions on Pyongyang after it offered details of its nuclear weapons programme.
Mr Bush arrived in Japan earlier today for his final Group of Eight summit with the world's leading economic powers. He will also hold talks with leaders of Russia, Germany, India, China and South Korea during his five-day trip.
Among the top agenda items for summit host Mr Fukuda is climate change, but prospects that the G8 nations would reach a meaningful agreement on fighting global warming at their annual summit dimmed today as leaders began arriving in northern Japan.
Mr Fukuda wants to add to momentum for UN-led talks on a new framework beyond limits agreed under the Kyoto Protocol, which expire in 2012. Those talks are due to conclude in Copenhagen in December next year.
But wide gaps among Group of Eight members and between advanced and developing countries have raised doubts about the chances for progress beyond last year's summit in Germany, where G8 leaders agreed to "seriously consider" a global goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The Bush administration, at odds with other members such as Germany and Japan, says the major industrialised countries cannot by themselves set long-term world goals on reducing greenhouse gases.
It wants other major economies involved in setting greenhouse gas reductions, including China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa.
“If China and India don't share that same aspiration we're not going to solve the problem,” Mr Bush said.
The president also defended his decision to attend the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games in China.
“I view the Olympics as an opportunity for me to cheer on our athletes,'' he said. “Not going to the opening ceremonies would be an affront to the Chinese people, which may make it more difficult to be able to speak frankly with the Chinese government.''
The July 7th-9th summit of rich nations will take place at a luxury hotel on the island of Hokkaido.