Smiling Bush enjoys rapturous welcome in Albania

FUSHE KRUJE, Albania, June 10 (Reuters) Smiling broadly, US President George W Bush dived into a throng of waiting Albanian fans today to enjoy an ecstatic rock-star reception.

Waving and blowing kisses, a shirt-sleeved Bush crossed the sunny main street of Fushe Kruje from a cafe where he had been chatting with locals to a bakery where he was given a little cake bearing a replica of the Stars and Stripes.

Bush was dogged by hostile protesters in Italy and Germany earlier in his 8-day tour of Europe, but clearly felt totally at ease in Albania.

He came out of the baker's shop and, sweeping past his security detail, strode to the barricades to shake hands with the crowd, who kissed his cheeks and rubbed his head in delight.

Albania, once the world's most closed and secretive society and still one of Europe's poorest countries, has blossomed since the fall of communism in 1990s in a sometimes chaotic embrace of all things Western.

Its people reserve special affection for America, which they credit not only with ending their Cold War isolation but also for leading NATO in 1999 to rescue the Albanians of neighbouring Kosovo province from a wave of ethnic cleansing by the Serbia of Slobodan Milosevic.

The waiting crowds in Fushe Kruje had been passed through metal detectors before being allowed anywhere near the scene of today's brief presidential outing from the capital, Tirana, and security men in dark suits and sunglasses almost outnumbered the well-wishers.

But Bush was completely relaxed, and seemed reluctant to leave, jumping up on the running board of his big black Chevrolet SUV to wave an energetic goodbye.

REUTERS RJ RK2143