Bush discusses Afghanistan, Sudan with NATO chief

U.S. President George W. Bush met with visiting NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in the White House on Friday and they discussed issues including Afghanistan and Sudan's Darfur, White House spokesman Tony Snow said at a briefing.

"As for the president's meeting with the NATO secretary-general, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, they had a good meeting," Snow said.

"They talked a lot about NATO's role in Afghanistan and ways of moving forward. Also (they) talked about their shared interest in Darfur and getting something done there," Snow said.

The meeting came amid a planned NATO summit due in Riga, Latvia next month.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan took over authority of the east of the country from the U.S.-led coalition at the beginning of the month, putting 12, 000 coalition troops, mainly Americans, under NATO command.

Bush has also called for a role for NATO in Sudan's conflicts- stricken Darfur region.

Source: Xinhua