US President Bush and French President Nicolas Sarkozy exchanged greetings at the Bush's family home in Kennebunkport, Maine yesterday with both sides having pledged to strengthen Washington-Paris bond.

"We'll have a heart-to-heart talk," Bush told reporters when Sarkozy arrived at the at the seaside vacation home of Bush's parents. "We'll be talking about a lot of key issues."

Bush acknowledged that there are disagreements between his administration and the French government. "We have had disagreements on Iraq in particular," Bush said. "But I've never allowed disagreements to not find other ways to work together."

Sarkozy attached importance to France-US relations, saying "For around 250 years France and the United States have been allies and friends."

Sarkozy shared Bush's saying of disagreement between the two countries. "Do we agree on everything? No," he said, an apparent reference to the divisive Iraq war. But he stressed France and the US remain in one family. "Because even in family, there are disagreements. But we are still the same family."