OTTAWA -- President George W. Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin emphasized the positive in U.S.-Canadian relations Tuesday following talks in Ottawa. The talks came in the first day of Bush's two-day official visit to Canada.

During a news conference Bush praised Canada for its help in Afghanistan and for forgiving Iraqi debt. Martin highlighted shared values between Canadians and Americans and said milestones would soon be established for cooperation on mutual goals, such as increased border security and expanded international trade.

Those efforts would be bilateral and also trilateral with Mexico.

"Listen, the relationship between Canada and the United States is indispensable to peace and prosperity on the North American continent," Bush said.

Bush, the first U.S. president to visit Canada in years, was greeted in Ottawa by masses of demonstrators angry with the war in Iraq. Bush acknowledged the opposition, but did not budge on his belief his decision to invade Iraq was correct.

"I made some decisions, obviously, that some in Canada didn't agree with ... but the agenda that the prime minister and I talked about is one that where most people should agree." He said those included fighting disease and poverty in Africa, opening trade, and helping Afghanistan and Iraq.

Canada wants the United States to lift a ban on its beef and to resolve a tariff dispute on softwood lumber, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. said.

Bush departs for Halifax, Nova Scotia, Wednesday to thank the city for housing stranded air travelers after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

Copyright 2004 by United Press International