Bush Backs Annan for Another Term

WASHINGTON (AP) - Kofi Annan is getting a big boost from President Bush for a second five-year term as secretary-general of the United Nations.

The new president and the veteran diplomat from Ghana discussed tensions in Macedonia, AIDS, global poverty, the Middle East and Iraq at their first get-together Friday, Annan said.

``We heatedly endorse his second term as the secretary-general,'' Bush told reporters.

Annan, who announced his candidacy Thursday, needs the approval of the United Nations' 189 member nations to keep his job.

Support from the United States - as well as Russia, France, China and Britain - is key since any of the five Security Council members can veto a candidate before sending nominations on to the General Assembly for a final vote. Annan's current term expires Dec. 31.

The United States blocked Annan's predecessor, Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt, from getting a second term.

After meeting with Bush, Annan said U.S.-U.N. relations would benefit from Congress' willingness to pay back dues owed to the global organization. A White House spokeswoman, Mary Ellen Countryman, said the president told Annan he would work with Congress to approve payments of $582 million to the world body.

``We were both satisfied that we have put behind us the difficult budgetary issue that has made our relationship difficult and promised to work very closely together,'' Annan said.

On AIDS, Bush and the U.N. leader agreed that a ``broader strategy'' was needed to fight the disease, the White House spokeswoman said.

During his first term, Annan focused global attention on Africa's conflicts, poverty and AIDS epidemic, trimmed the U.N. bureaucracy and spearheaded an overhaul of peacekeeping operations.

While winning praise for those initiatives, he was criticized in other areas, including a divisive debate over ``humanitarian intervention,'' the end of U.N. inspections in Iraq and the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone.

Annan's chances of winning a second term are good by most accounts, although Asian countries may spoil an unchallenged bid if they put forward a candidate of their own.

Annan, who turns 63 next month, also met with Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) during his Washington visit.