"Strong Europe"

Yesterday President Bush landed in Brussels to kick off a week long trip to Europe. Mr. Bush is expected to express support for a strong and united Europe. But why is his the case? Advance excerpts from speeches he intends to make show Bush calling "Europe and North America the main pillar of our security in a new century." Also he will emphasize the necessity of a strong friendship to promote global peace and prosperity, and he will ask for a joint effort from Europe and the U.S. in rebuilding Iraq. While I do not deny the validity of any of these claims or wants, considering the possible consequences of a stronger and more united Europe, I feel like there has to be an alterior motive to his visit.
One possible consequence is that a united Europe would have roughly the same GDP as the U.S., and could therefore see itself as a counterforce to the U.S. Also, the admission of 10 more countries into the EU would mean that 10 more countries would be less likely to import U.S. goods due to the free transfer of goods and services enjoyed by EU member countries.
My question to you is, why do you think President Bush is voicing such strong support for a "strong Europe?"
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/21/international/europ...