US President George W. Bush met with visiting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in the White House on Tuesday and both voiced desire to work with each other.

"The United States wants to work with the United Nations to achieve peace through the spread of freedom," Bush said at a media availability with Ban.

Bush said he discussed issues like Iran, the Middle East and Sudan's Darfur with Ban.

For his part, Ban said he needs the strong participation and support of the United States in all activities of the United Nations.

"In fact, I believe that United Nations and United States have a shared objective: peace and security, freedom, democracy. All these important goals and ideals are what United States is also trying to achieve," he said.

Ban Ki-moon, former foreign minister of South Korea, succeeded Kofi Annan as the UN secretary-general from this year and became the eighth chief in the world body's 61-year history.

(Xinhua News Agency January 17, 2007)