• Is it one thing about which you have an argument with President George W. Bush? I know that you are friends with him.

I have an argument with Washington DC on this topic, not President Bush per se. When you have politicians one-on-one, they understand what they should be doing (laughs). Unfortunately, as a group they do the wrong thing.

• (Laughs) I could say that about our politicians as well. One-on-one they are perfectly sensible, reasonable, understandable.

But together they are like a bunch of children. Sometimes they do the wrong things.

• Who need some kind of an adult hand?

Well, they need someone every once in a while to rap their fingers and tell them what to do.

• About your friendship with George Bush. He's a very unusual president.

I think (so).

• Tell us a bit about him.

I think President Bush is a bit misunderstood. He has an image around the world that is not particularly exciting, but if you meet him one-on-one, he is very articulate. He's very intelligent, very principled, and I don't find anything wrong with someone who has strong principles and stands behind them. In fact I admire that in a politician.

• So you think all this Bush-phobia around the world right now is a bit unnecessary. Or do you think there's some justification for that?

I think that the US has been, to a degree, somewhat polarising. The Iraqi situation is somewhat polarising. And the press always likes bad news, not good news.

... contd.