US President George W Bush and his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy held a casual meeting on Saturday at Bush’s family compound, in what could be the beginning of a new phase in relations between Paris and Washington.

The American leader said the interview is aimed at sorting out divergences regarding certain issues, like the Iraq war or relations with Iran.

“We've had disagreement on Iraq in particular. I've never allowed disagreements to not to find other ways to work together,” Bush said.

Sarkozy accepted Bush’s invitation for an informal visit to his family summer house near the Atlantic Ocean in Kennebunkport, Maine. The casual-dressed French president was warmly greeted by the White House leader and his parents, former president George H W Bush and his wife Barbara Bush.

Bush didn’t miss the opportunity to outline Sarkozy’s “good vision and goodwill” and emphasize that talks will be frank ones, held among friends.

“This is a complicated world with a lot of opportunities to bring peace, and no question, when America and France work together we can get a lot of important things done,” he said.

Sarkozy responded in the same manner, reiterating important steps made across time by both nations and thanking the American people for aiding France in wars, especially those “young Americans who came to die for us.”

“And that is a lot more important than Mr Sarkozy or Mr Bush, because after Mr Bush, after Mr Sarkozy, we'll continue to be friends of the Americans,” Sarkozy stressed.

France’s foreign policy seems to have taken a radical turn after Sarkozy became president in May, Saturday’s meeting proving that he supports an approach to the United States unlike his predecessor Jacques Chirac.

Chirac had several dissensions with Bush during his term, being one of the most ardent opponents of the Iraq war.

Sarkozy admitted differences still exist, but they can be sorted out and Paris-Washington relations do not have to be strained due to different opinions.

“Do we agree on everything? No,” Sarkozy said. “Because maybe even within a family there are disagreements, but we are still a family. And we may be friends and not agree on everything, but we are friends.”

Bush tries to tackle problems and tense relations in another manner than his predecessors, inviting Russian President Vladimir Putin to the same summer resort last month. Russia and the United States had a long series of feuds across history and continue to disagree on several issues like Kosovo or a missile shield in Central Europe.