Bush brings a date to Asia-Pacific summit: January 20

By David Alexander

LIMA (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush took a date to the Asia-Pacific summit in Peru and it wasn't his wife.

It was January 20, 2009, the end of his term in office.

Everywhere he went, there were reminders he will soon will hand over power to President-elect Barack Obama. When leaders of the 21-nation group weren't offering their goodbyes, it was Bush himself mentioning his departure.

"Laureen and I certainly wish Laura and you all the best if I don't see you again before the 20th of January," Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said as the leaders gathered for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

"Before forced retirement," quipped Bush.

The coming date seemed to weigh on the U.S. president, making him reflective in remarks to the business-friendly forum, which shares many of the open-market, free-trade values Bush hopes will be seen as his legacy.

"I made APEC a priority," Bush told business leaders. "My first international trip after September the 11th, 2001, was to an APEC summit in Shanghai. My first trip overseas after my re-election in 2004 was to the APEC summit in Chile.

"And now that I'm headed to retirement, my last trip as president is to APEC here in Lima."

Bush is measuring what he wants to accomplish against the looming deadline. The loose ends he and his aides would like to tie up before January 20 are multiplying.

Setting the stage for a successful conclusion of the Doha round of world trade talks is one of those goals.

"I recognize I'm leaving office in two months," he told the business leaders. "But nevertheless, this administration will push hard to put the modalities in place so that Doha can be completed."

Formalizing an agreement to verify North Korea is dismantling its nuclear program is another aim.

"Everybody understands why this is important," said Dennis Wilder, senior director for Asian affairs at the White House National Security Council.

Any policy prescription not neatly tied up and ready for handoff could be fumbled by the next administration as it begins policy reviews and decides where it wants to make changes.

The leaders of six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program "want to, if you will, put this in the most attractive place possible so that the next American administration will see its value," Wilder said.