Bush to host Sarkozy for lunch

---

KENNEBUNKPORT, United States, Aug 11 (AFP): US President George W. Bush will greet French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy at his family compound in Maine Saturday for a casual lunch that could signal a new era of ties following chilly relations with Sarkozy's predecessor.
Bush and his wife Laura invited Sarkozy and his wife Cecilia for the get-together in Kennebunkport while the the French couple spend their summer vacation in neighbouring New Hampshire.
While White House officials have insisted on the informal nature of the get-together, the Bush family holiday home overlooking the Atlantic has been used for diplomatic meetings in the past.
Bush, who usually invites special guests to his ranch in Texas, hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in July to cool down rising tensions between their countries.