United States President George W Bush [Images] on Sunday appreciated Pakistan's role in the war against terrorism, as he held talks with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

During the hour-long meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on Middle East in Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt, Bush lauded Pakistan's initiatives to curb terrorism and extremism, posing threat to the entire world, the official APP news agency reported.

"The Prime Minister and I talked about our common desire to protect ourselves and others from those who could do harm...I am thankful for the steadfast support from Pakistan," Bush said after his talks with Gilani.

The Pakistan Prime Minister said his government was committed to fighting against terrorism. "We have lost our great leader (Benazir Bhutto [Images]) because of terrorism. We stand by the world in the fight against terrorism," he said.

The two leaders also discussed ways and means to enhance economic cooperation and called for expanding bilateral ties in the fields of defence, commerce and socio-economic uplift.

"I appreciate the support of President Bush to our country on social sector, economy and energy...We want to work together on these matters," Gilani was quoted as saying.

Describing the bilateral ties as strong, vibrant and productive, Bush said, "This meeting will help advance these relations."

During the talks, the two leaders also discussed the situation in Afghanistan. They noted that both Pakistan and Afghanistan needed to jointly play their roles in ensuring stability in the region.