New York City ? President Bush sought to assure anxious world leaders on Monday that the United States is taking “bold, aggressive, decisive action” to rescue the crisis-ridden economy with a $700 billion bailout package.

“The whole world is watching to see if we can act quickly,” Bush said, prodding lawmakers in Washington to approve his plan.

Bush balanced the economic meltdown with foreign policy problems from Pakistan and North Korea to Russia and Iran as he opened three days of diplomacy with presidents and prime ministers assembled for the annual ministerial meeting of the U.N. General Assembly.