While Mr Bush always has said he will return to Texas, where he has a ranch outside the flyspeck town of Crawford, the US president emerged from an Asia-Pacific summit in Lima with invitations to China and Russia.

In his last foreign photo-up, Mr Bush waved next to fellow leaders while draped in a shapeless brown poncho, carrying out a tradition of the annual summit to dress in local attire for the closing ceremony.

Mr Bush drew warm praise here from Chinese President Hu Jintao and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, bantered with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and won guarded cooperation pledges from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

'Laureen and I certainly wish Laura and you all the best if I don't see you again before the 20th of January,' Mr Harper said as they met on Saturday, to which Mr Bush quipped: 'Before forced retirement.' Mr Aso said Mr Bush 'without a doubt' improved US-Japan ties and helped foster 'clear progress in personal relations' - notably his keen friendship with former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi.

Mr Hu voiced hope that Mr Bush, after he steps down, 'can come to China often to continue to have a positive influence on China-US ties', said China foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao.

In a message to president-elect Barack Obama, Mr Hu also 'expressed hope that the next US administration can recognise the importance of China-US ties,' said Mr Liu.

Mr Bush told Mr Hu as they began their final meeting that he felt 'a little nostalgic' looking back on his eight years in office, said White House spokesman Dana Perino.

The US president's exchange with Mr Medvedev was less cordial, as Mr Bush noted 'we've had our agreements, we've had our disagreements' and Mr Medvedev said 'we do have points of agreement and those points of real differences'. Mr Medvedev said that while 'we have areas on which we agree and on which we sharply differ, I want to say that we have worked well and now continue our work' under Mr Obama.

A Kremlin aide later said 'we didn't have a feeling of nostalgia' but that Mr Medvedev 'said that regardless of what President Bush does in future, if he wishes, we will greet him with pleasure in Russia'. And Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in an interview with a Peruvian newspaper, said 'after the fall of the Soviet Union many in America thought that a Pax Americana had begun' but that the Bush era had proven that Washington cannot tackle great challenges 'alone'.

Some of the stiffest criticism came halfway around the world from Lima, as Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas knocked US-backed Middle East peace talks by saying not one issue had been resolved.

'So far we have not reached agreement on a single question - every issue remains up for discussion,' Mr Abbas charged, denying US and Israeli talk that agreements are being prepared.

His comments came a day before the US president hosts outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for their final talks.

Mr Bush, who for months has vowed unsentimentally to 'sprint' to Jan 20, had what seemed to be an emotional moment in his speech to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit when he took up US ties to Colombia.

'I just had a chance to have a cup of coffee with President (Alvaro) Uribe. He is a strong leader. He's a good friend. And our Congress and our government must never turn our back on such a friend as Uribe,' he said.

Mr Bush vowed to 'push hard' for world trade talks while saying 'I recognise I'm leaving office in two months.' -- AFP