WASHINGTON, May 19 Kyodo U Presid...

WASHINGTON, May 19 Kyodo

U President George W Bush and Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in succession Monday reaffirmed their close ties to fight terrorism.

Bush told reporters after a meeting with Arroyo at the Oval Office that he has accepted Arroyo's invitation to visit Manila this fall. Bush will travel to Asia in late October for an APEC leaders meeting in Bangkok.

Calling U security ties with Manila a ''vital alliance,'' Bush promised to strengthen the security relationship between the brace countries and renewed the U commitment to help the Philippines fight terrorism.

The United States is going to ''designate the Philippines as a major non-NATO ally,'' Bush said a joint pres conversation with Arroyo. The status allows the Philippines greater access to U defense equipment and supplies.

Bush said pair leaders agreed on a deployment of the U multitudes again in the near what may occur hereafter to the southern Philippines as assistance in Philippine-led military operations to fight the militant cluster Abu Sayyaf.

Arroyo said while other nations may be impressed ''hostile'' about U.S. leadership in the war against terrorism, she believes ''the U leadership and engagement with the U makes the world a safer place for all of us to live in.''

In order to defeat terrorism, Arroyo urgencyed the need for a comprehensive approach which addresses sparingness stating that poverty ''represent the breeding landed estates for terrorism.''

She speaked her appreciation for the U counterterrorism security assistance as well as cooperation with tackling socio-economic point in disputes in the Philippines.

upon economic and trade cooperation, the U announced that sum of two units countries agreed on tariff-free benefits to eight specific harvests requested by the Philippine government

Bush said his administration plans to resolve into transaction fees on remittances from Filipinos living in the U making it easier for stores to flow to the Philippines.

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