The United States and Germany are "well on the way" to repairing their breach over Iraq, a top German diplomat said Saturday ahead of this week's talks between President Bush and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Asked if things were back to the level before the Iraq crisis, Karsten Voigt, the government's coordinator for trans-Atlantic relations, told The Associated Press, "we are well on the way there." "If one speaks of a new beginning, then one speaks of a positive start with a goal," Voight said. "And the goal is exactly the level that you described." He pointed to U.S.-German cooperation in forgiving Iraq's debts, training new Iraqi security officers and stabilizing Afghanistan, where Germany has contributed 2,500 soldiers to a NATO security force. Schroeder also said in comments released Saturday that he welcomed Bush's readiness for improved trans-Atlantic cooperation and was looking forward to discussions with the U.S. president.