G8 leaders, from left, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, US President George W. Bush, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and President of the European Union Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, pose for the official photo at the G8 summit, Tuesday, July 8, 2008 in the lakeside resort of Toyako on Japan northern island of Hokkaido.

TOYAKO, Japan (AP) _ President Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged Tuesday to keep working together on common problems, but progress appeared slow on reaching a consensus on climate change as the Group of Eight major economies tackled that and other knotty global issues.



Merkel expressed optimism as the two leaders met with reporters after a one-on-one meeting before Tuesday's summit session.



"I'm very satisfied with the work that has gone on on the G-8 documents, as regards progress on the issue of climate change, cooperation in the area of food and oil," she said.



She cited "a very interesting exchange of view, very intensive exchange of view." Merkel also said she hoped that international trade negotiators could make progress on restarting long-stalled trade liberalization talks "over the next few weeks to come."



Bush was more terse after the meeting, not mentioning global warming but telling reporters: "We talked about a lot of common problems, and a lot of common opportunities. We talked about the G-8. We talked about the need to work — continue to work together on Iran."



He told Merkel he valued her friendship and advice and called her "a constructive force for good.