WASHINGTON — The Bush administration wants to see stronger ties with Canada under Paul Martin, the White House said Friday.

"The president looks forward to working with him and we look forward to strengthening our relationships with our Canadian friends," said spokesman Scott McClellan. Martin, chosen Liberal leader Friday, has promised to make Canada-U.S. relations a top priority, something surveys suggest most Canadians want.

But he's not expected to become a slave to American interests, U.S. observers said.

"There's a lot of anticipation in official Washington," said Gordon Giffin, a former ambassador to Canada.

"It's an opportunity to begin a new relationship. No one expects him to become a sycophant to the U.S. But there's going to be a priority there in terms of considering how we engage," Giffin said from Atlanta.

Martin wants to chair a new permanent cabinet committee on Canada-U.S. relations, create a Commons committee on troublesome bilateral issues and steer a course around stalled decision-making at the United Nations.

"There are new, novel, improved ways to work together," said Giffin. "Hopefully that will be possible with a new prime minister."

Martin has also talked about a bigger Canadian defence budget and expressed early support for a massive missile defence shield endorsed by President George W. Bush, leading some critics to worry he'll become too cosy with Washington.

"Canadians are very schizophrenic about the relationship," said Jim LeBlanc, an analyst and businessman who left Canada a decade ago.

"They don't want to be too close, but they recognize this is their biggest market."

Some, like Giffin, think political strains between the two countries have been overblown and that departments have continued to work well with one another across the border.

Others think Martin can relieve tensions caused by Canada's decision not to join the U.S.-led Iraq invasion and comments this year from Prime Minister Jean Chretien and other politicians that were critical of the U.S.

"I'm sure they're doing high fives somewhere in the bowels of the White House," said LeBlanc. "Martin is going to blow off a lot of negativity in the atmosphere and present a fresh view. He'll put it back onto a business footing."

Martin is expected to meet with Bush quite soon after becoming prime minister, perhaps at the Summit of Americas in Mexico in January.

Bush could also reschedule a visit to Ottawa, abruptly cancelled last spring.

Observers say it's hard to gauge whether Martin and Bush will have a particularly close relationship or when Martin might be invited to the president's Texas ranch, the ultimate nod of acceptance.

"Jean Chretien and Bill Clinton - I don't know whether that can be replicated for a while between anyone in the two countries," said former ambassador James Blanchard, who was attending the Liberal convention in Toronto.

Martin won't present an abrupt change in policy, said Blanchard. "There'll be a difference in style."

Scotty Greenwood, executive director of the Canadian American Business Council, said people are so hopeful about Martin that the expectations are enormous, and too onerous.

But Greenwood expects a better business climate to emerge: "He's perceived as more open to cultivating prosperity."

Charles Doran, a Canadian-American specialist at John Hopkins University, said Martin will move fast to improve the tone of the relationship.

"He will get a very positive response here," Doran predicted, especially with plans to increase military spending and reinforce Canada's commitment to homeland security and the war against terror in Afghanistan.

"But he will always stress that the interests of the two countries are different. He's mature enough, experienced enough to handle the balance."

With the momentum of a new relationship, Martin can attack some tricky problems, including the beef ban that has plagued Canada since a lone case of mad cow disease was discovered in May, said Doran.