Australian Prime Minister reassures US on troops in Afghanistan

Mr Bush has welcomed Australia's continuing commitment to the war in Afghanistan and has also accepted Mr Rudd's decision to bring troops home from Iraq.

Mr Rudd is attending the NATO summit next week in Bucharest where he says he will urge European nations to share more of the load.

"To then say to all of our friends and partners let's all step up to the plate to make this work - and across the country of Afghanistan not just in parts of it," Mr Rudd said.

Mr Bush welcomed Mr Rudd's message to NATO.

"The Prime Minister and I discussed how Bucharest can become a success and I can't thank you enough for going," Mr Bush said.

The meeting of Mr Bush and Mr Rudd in Washington at the White House this morning was part of the first leg in Mr Rudd's 17-day overseas trip to build foreign policy.

'Honorary Queenslander'

Mr Rudd has dubbed Mr Bush an 'honorary Queenslander', after Mr Bush handed on former prime minister John Howard's 'Man of Steel' nickname to him.

Despite Mr Bush being close to Mr Howard, he says the relationship between the US and Australia is in safe hands with Mr Rudd.

"That friendship will strengthen and endure under the leadership of Kevin Rudd," he said.

He described Mr Rudd a strategic thinker and a straight shooter - which prompted Mr Rudd give him the honorary title.

"From one Queenslander to one Texan, one Australian to one American I appreciate the relationship that we are forming part and parcel of the relationship between two great democracies," he said.

Mr Rudd has spent the day in meetings with almost all the senior figures in the Bush administration, including the US Vice-President and the secretaries of Defence, State and Treasury.

Source: By Australian Broadcasting Corporation