President George W Bush has expressed concern about the economy as he set off on what is widely expected to be the final trip to Europe of his presidency.
Mr Bush said he would talk to European leaders about high fuel prices and the need for a strong US dollar.
"It is in the interest of the global economy," he told US reporters.
His week-long trip will take in the annual US-European Union summit, taking place in Slovenia, as well as Germany, Italy, France, the Vatican and the UK.
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Challenges ahead
Mr Bush's trip is intended to strengthen ties between the US and Europe but he and his European hosts may clash on such issues as climate change and trade, analysts say.
Speaking before his departure, Mr Bush said he would be talking about the need to develop new technologies to help reduce the world's reliance on fossil fuels.
He has asked the US Congress to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, in Alaska, for oil production in order to try to help meet the demand for fuel in the US, he said.
The cost of oil hit a record high on Friday, coinciding with a dollar slump, plummeting share prices on Wall Street and US unemployment suffering its biggest rise in 20 years.
However, Mr Bush expressed long-term confidence in the US economy, saying it had continued to grow "in the face of unprecedented challenges".
"We've got to keep our economies flexible. Both the US economy and European economies need to be flexible in order to deal with today's challenges," he said.
Mr Bush's talks with leaders are also expected to focus on aid efforts in Afghanistan, the US push for more sanctions against Iran over the nuclear issue and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
(BBC)
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