U.S. President George W. Bush will host several foreign leaders in Washington this month, including his first meeting with Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai since last autumn, the White House announced today. Next week, Bush will host former South African President Nelson Mandela on May 17, Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif on May 18, and Denmark's Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen on May 20, spokesman Scott McClellan said. Karzai and Bush are scheduled to meet on May 23 for the first time since the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York City last September. "This will be an opportunity for the two leaders to discuss the progress in the global war on terrorism, the achievements of the Afghan people in building democracy, and our ongoing cooperation on a range of bilateral, regional, and international issues," McClellan said. The spread of democracy, particularly in the Middle East, will be on the agenda with the prime ministers of Egypt and Denmark, McClellan said. Bush and Mandela will discuss the fight against AIDS in Africa and Mandela's foundation to improve development for African children, he added.
