Laurent Lozano, Washington – "We did have an opportunity to talk extensively about some of the challenges in our immediate region," Howard said after the talks, adding that he highlighted the importance of Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, in counter-terrorism.
"I spoke about the... importance of the role of Indonesia, the symbolism and also the tactical consequence of Indonesia being the largest Islamic country in the world," Howard told reporters, with Bush by his side, at the White House.
Howard said "the success and prosperity" of democratically-elected Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's "moderate Islamic leadership" was itself "a very important factor in the long term success of the fight against terrorism.
"Because the fight against terrorism is not only a military and physical one; it is also an intellectual one. And it's a question of providing within the Islamic world a successful democratic model as an alternative to the fanaticism of those who would obscenely invoke the sanction of Islam to justify what they seek to do," the Australian leader said.
Indonesia has been the epicentre of terrorist attacks in the Asian region, with more than 240 people dying over the past four years in operations blamed on the regional extremist network Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and its affiliates. A second Bali bombing in October last year killed 20 people on the popular tourist island.
Bush said "we've got to be steadfast and firm if we intend to succeed in defeating the terrorists." The US president praised Australia as one of the closest US allies, particularly in promoting peace, fighting terrorism and ending the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Aside from terrorism, the two leaders discussed the Iranian and North Korean nuclear crises, the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, the recent violence in East Timor as well as issues such as energy and trade.
Howard, whose meeting with Bush is the seventh since the US leader was first elected to office in 2000, had provided staunch support for the US-led invasion of Iraq three years ago. Of the world leaders who backed the war, Howard may be the only one who remains popular at home.
Asked about the chemistry behind their close personal relationship, Bush said "the interesting thing talking to John Howard is that you can trust the man.
"And that's what is a necessary ingredient to be working together for the common good. And I also appreciate a person who is capable of standing by a decision," said Bush, whose popularity at home has plunged due largely to the unending Iraq conflict.
At a lavish White House ceremony ahead of their summit, Howard praised Bush for his leadership of the war on terror.
"The world needs a president of the United States who has a clear-eyed view of the dangers of terrorism and the courage and the determination – however difficult the path may be – to see the task through to its conclusion.
"And in you, sir, the American people and the world have found such a leader and such an individual," Howard told Bush.
Amid Australian media speculation that Howard, serving his fourth term as Prime Minister, would bow out before his term ends in 2007, Bush said the Australian leader would remain in office much longer.
"I suspect he's going to outlast me, so that is a moot point," Bush said, when asked if he could work effectively with a future Australian leader.
Bush feted the Australian leader at a formal White House dinner Tuesday, attended by their wives, Janette Howard and Laura Bush.
The guests attending the black-tie affair included Australian-born Rupert Murdoch and his wife, Wendi Deng, Chevron Corp. chairman David O'Reilly, IBM Corp. chairman Samuel Palmisano and Morgan Stanley President James Gorman.
American country music singer Kenny Chesney, whose hits include "Me and You" and "She Thinks my Tractor's Sexy," was the featured entertainer for the formal White House dinner. Chesney, wearing a broad-brimmed black cowboy hat and an open dark, blue shirt, made headlines in gossip magazines last year when his marriage to Hollywood star Renee Zellweger ended in divorce after four months.
The dinner menu included summer squash soup, house-cured duck prosciutto and a main course of fish – pan-roasted barramundi – accompanied by lemon risotto with asparagus tips. A chardonnay and pinot noir were served and desert was a nougat glace with fresh oranges. In his toast to Howard, Bush called the partnership between the two countries "broad" and "deep."