Strasbourg, 12/01/2005 (Agence Europe) - In Strasbourg this week the Conference of Presidents of the Political Groups will discuss the possibility of inviting president Bush to address the plenary of MEPs during his visit to Europe (George Bush will be in Brussels on 22 February). This was confirmed on Tuesday to the press by the British president of the ALDE group, Graham Watson, who pointed out that president Borrell, in his congratulation message to George Bush on his re-election, had renewed the invitation by his predecessor, Pat Cox. Recalling that president Reagan had addressed the European Parliament, Mr Watson declared that if dialogue with president Bush is possible, they should pursue the option but that they would meet him with the necessary dignity and without any ceremony at the parliamentary building.
Greens/EFA co-president, Daniel Cohn-Bendit said he was completely in favour of president Bush's visit "if debate were possible" because he had to understand the feeling of Europeans about his policy. the German Green said that, "I would really like to tell him two or three things, kindly, politely, as ever".