US President George W. Bush admits that differences continue to exist between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on Burma but disagrees with the notion that this issue will hinder more advanced Asean-US cooperation.''Burma is a concern for the US,'' he said in an interview with the Bangkok Post and senior editors from South Korea and China held at the White House on Wednesday.''I think [Asean-US] relations are very strong on counter-terrorism and on the economy.''[But] there's a difference [between us] about how hard people should push for democracy in Burma. I'm at one end of the ledger. And we'll continue to press hard,'' he said.Mr Bush will arrive in Thailand on Wednesday and will meet Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej for dinner at Government House. They will issue a joint statement which is expected to highlight the 175th anniversary of Thai-US bilateral ties.The situation in Burma will also feature prominently when Mr Bush issues a statement prior to a press conference on Thursday at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.The president said he wants to thank the Thai government for its understanding of the refugee issue and its border policy. ''I think it's been very wise and very humane,'' he said.''My message is going to be one directed to the people in Burma when I meet with some of the activists [in Bangkok].''Mr Bush's wife Laura will also meet Burmese dissidents while in the capital.While in Bangkok, Mr Bush will also visit the Mercy Centre of the Human Development Foundation and get a briefing on disaster relief efforts in Burma. He will meet Burmese dissidents at the residence of US ambassador to Thailand Eric John, and will speak to radio journalists about Burma.''I want to tell you an interesting story,'' he said on Wednesday in Washington. ''I included Burma in my last United Nations address, and it was a pretty strong statement. ''And she [Laura Bush] was in the audience there at the United Nations. And just as soon as the speech ended, she got an email from one of the activists she had met, a person that was trying to help deal with human suffering.''And I just thought it was an interesting world we're in, in which the speech finishes, the word gets out, they email back to Mrs Bush to thank me as I walked off the podium.''Now, it's very important for us to _ I understand pressures on countries, and I understand different interests. And I always try to put myself in the other person's shoes.''But as I do so, I never forget certain basic fundamental values. And so we will be _ I will be, and Laura will be _ expressing our opinion in a way that is, I hope, very clear and hopeful to people.''
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