NATO Secretary-General George Robertson arrived in Prague Wednesday to discuss Czech Republic's progress in upgrading its armed forces and integration with the Alliance, which it joined two years ago.
Published:
23 February 2001 y., Friday
He arrived from Moscow, which is fiercely opposed to any further NATO expansion to the east, following the accession of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland into NATO in March 1999.
The main topic of discussion would be Prague's plans to buy between 24 and 36 Western-built supersonic jets planes to update its aging Soviet-era airforce, Robertson told state television before his arrival.
Czech President Vaclav Havel recently told AFP that Moscow "has not right to oppose NATO enlargement" into ex-communist countries in central and eastern Europe.
Robertson is also likely to discuss the outcome of his talks in Moscow, as well as preparations for a NATO summit in Prague in late 2002, officials said. The ailing Havel will meet with Robertson in hospital, where he has been for over a week after suffering a relapse of lung problems which forced him to cut short a foreign trip, his spokesman said.
On Wednesday Robertson was due to meet Havel, Foreign Minister Jan Kavan and Defense Minister Vladimir Vetchy. On Thursday he will meet Prime Minister Milos Zeman as well as parliament speaker Vaclav Klaus and Senate speaker Petr Pithart.
Šaltinis:
Agence France Presse
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
Lithuania took over the Chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe today, with a focus on internal and external threats in the OSCE area, fostering democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, notably freedom of the media, promoting energy security in Europe and building upon synergies between regional organizations.
more »
President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė says the decision taken by the European Council to amend the EU Treaty to provide for the establishment of a permanent support mechanism for crisis–stricken eurozone countries is very important for Lithuania.
more »
At the OSCE Summit, President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė met with President of the Kyrgyz Republic Roza Otunbayeva for a bilateral discussion.
more »
President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė attending OSCE Summit in Astana had a conversation with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
more »
President Dalia Grybauskaitė positively assessed the European Commission's decision to include the integration of the Baltic Energy Market into the European market in the map of EU priorities.
more »
President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė left to Lisbon to attend NATO Summit that starts today.
more »
President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė congratulated President Valdis Zatlers of the Republic of Latvia and all Latvian people on Latvia's national holiday, the Independence Day.
more »
President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė received letters of credence from the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Samad Ali Lakizadeh.
more »
President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė received letters of credence from the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed Ahmed Al Mahmood.
more »
As a response to the address made by representatives of Lithuania's culture community and civic society concerning the future of Kristijonas Donelaitis museum in Chistye Prudy in the Kaliningrad Oblast, President of the Republic of Lithuania D. Grybauskaitė sent a letter to President D. Medvedev of the Russian Federation.
more »