US President George W Bush [Images] on Tuesday met former South Africa [Images] president Nelson Mandela in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC.

This is the first time the legendary Mandela met Bush after he launched a verbal attack on the American leader and his Iraq policy back in 2003.

Mandela did mention the subject during a speech at the Brookings Institution, the wellknown Washington, DC think tank, delivered on the eve of the meeting.

"True democracy cannot be imposed or transplanted. It must be home grown and a product of consensus and inclusivity within any given country. That is why we disagree on the matter of Iraq," he said.

Mandela did try to set his thoughts in the context of friendship. "Such disagreements are not uncommon among friends. In fact they are a mark of strong, candid and honest friendship," he added.

The tone was a lot stronger in 2003, when Mandela refused to meet Bush during his first visit to the African continent.

During their 20-minute talk, both leaders discussed the importance of combatting AIDS in Africa.

The leaders -- who are both Cancerians; Bush will turn 59 on July 6; Mandela 87 12 days later -- also discussed debt forgiveness for developing countries in Africa.

Nobel Laureate Mandela is in the US seeking support for the Nelson Mandela Legacy Trust, which supports his African-based charities.

Photograph: PAUL J RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images