CANWEST

RUSUTSU, Japan - First came Tony, now comes Steve.

U.S. President George W. Bush has developed a reputation for the casual, folksy way in which he greets fellow leaders on the world stage.

On the first day of the Group of Eight summit in Japan, the object of his affection was none other than Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

The G8 leaders met Monday with the heads of state of eight African countries. The group was expected to tackle such weighty issues as development aid and soaring food prices, which analysts say has had a devastating effect on the poorest of the world's poor.

But as the G8 and African leaders gathered ahead of a working luncheon, the American president was in a jovial mood.

In a television feed of the event, Bush at one point can be seen putting his arm around Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua.

``You're a good man, you're a good man,'' says the president.

Bush then wipes his finger below his nose and calls for the attention of Harper.

``Yo Harper. The president of Nigeria.''

It is not the first time Bush has invoked street slang to address a fellow leader.

At the 2006 G8 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, Bush famously offered the same greeting to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Apparently unaware he was speaking near a live microphone, Bush chatted casually with Blair about the war between Israel and Lebanon, using an expletive to describe the involvement of the Hezbollah and Syria.

"See, the irony is that what they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this s--- and it's over,'' Bush said.

Eventually he was overheard saying, ``Yo Blair, what're you doing? Are you leaving?''

The ``Yo Blair'' incident originally drew amusement, inspiring a series of parodies and even a rap on YouTube, but eventually caused a political headache for the former prime minister.

Some British pundits cited the anecdote as an example of Blair's subservience to the president, whose lead Britain followed into the Iraq War.

Nor is it the first time the president has spoken to Harper in a colloquial manner.

At last year's summit in Heiligendamm, Germany, the G8 leaders held a discussion with students holding a parallel ``Junior G8.'' At one point, Bush suggested he and Harper were on the same page when it comes to fighting HIV- AIDS in Africa. So much so, in fact, that the president began one of his sentences with, ``I know I speak for Steve ...''

The two are still on a first-name basis, but Bush appears to have adopted a more formal tone this year.

At the start of the luncheon, the president can be heard addressing Harper as ``Stephen.''

The prime minister, known to be much more reserved in public than his American counterpart, then approaches Bush and shaking hands, says, ``George, how are you?''

Ottawa Citizen