LIMA (Peru) - US President George W. Bush, faced with a dwindling number of days in office, worked on Saturday at his final world summit to keep a virulent economic crisis that started in the US from triggering protectionism across the globe.

Mr Bush was pushing to get the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting to endorse a global action plan for combatting the economic emergency in which the nations would agree not to erect new trade barriers over the next 12 months. Instead, the countries would pledge to jump-start stalled global trade talks by getting a broad outline for a deal completed by the end of December.

Bush: Crisis recovery 'is going to take time' LIMA - US President George W. Bush on Saturday assured Asia-Pacific leaders coping with the global economic crisis that recovering from the meltdown 'is going to take time, but we?ll recvover.' 'As we look to the future, the tasks facing our nations are no doubt demanding. Recovering from the financial crisis is going to take time, but we'll recover, and in so doing begin a new era of prosperity,' he said. ... more

Meeting on Saturday with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Bush said that given the economic crisis, it's more important than ever for the two neighbors to work together.

'We've accomplished a lot together,' Mr Bush said. 'Relations between the United States and Canada are strong - sometimes complicated, but nevertheless based on common values.'

Mr Harper offered a warm goodbye to Bush in the event he doesn't see him before Jan. 20, when President-elect Barack Obama takes office.

Mr Bush jokingly referred to the upcoming inauguration as a 'forced retirement.'

In his weekly radio address, which sounded themes he was expected to elaborate on during a speech to business leaders here on Saturday, Mr Bush said all countries must focus on the three great forces that drive economic growth - 'free markets, free trade and free people'.

'Free markets have helped millions lift themselves out of poverty,' the president said. 'Free trade has helped small nations turn themselves into global economic powers.'

'We're facing difficult challenges and there will be tough days ahead,' Mr Bush said.

Those comments came after another bad week on Wall Street, with renewed gloom about the prospects of a deepening global recession pushing stocks down to six-year lows.

The Dow Jones industrial average did stage a nearly 500-point rally in late trading on Friday following reports that President-elect Barack Obama was choosing Timothy Geithner, the president of Federal Reserve's New York regional bank, to be his treasury secretary.

Mr Geithner has won kudos for the key role he has played in helping manage the current crisis.

Mr Bush admitted during talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao on Friday that he 'felt a little nostalgic' that it would be their last meeting when both were heads of state.

In addition to addressing the economic crisis, Mr Bush was using his eighth and final Apec summit to provide renewed impetus to an effort to rid North Korea of its nuclear weapons.

North Korea's nuclear program was a key agenda item in his talks with Hu on Friday. The president was expected to raise the issue in discussions Saturday with the leaders of Japan, South Korea and Russia.

Those countries have joined with the United States in prodding North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program. North Korea has balked at allowing inspectors to take samples from its main nuclear complex.

Mr Bush hopes to use his discussions during the Apec meetings to lock in an early December date when all six parties, including North Korea, will meet in China. The goal would be to get agreement on the verification of North Korea's nuclear declaration and disabling of its nuclear facilities.

Mr Bush leaves office Jan 20. -- AP