(9 Jun 2001)
1. Wide of Slovak Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda at podium
2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mikulas Dzurinda, Slovak Prime Minister:
"In my opinion the more countries that become members of NATO, the better for those aspiring countries, the better for NATO, the better for security in Europe and in the world."
3. Cutaway, reporters
4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Eduard Kukan, Slovak Foreign Minister :
"It is clear that the presence of the international community, the peacekeepers, in the region will have to be long because without it I am sure the situation will worsen immediately."
5. Cutaway, reporters
6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mikulas Dzurinda, Slovak Prime Minister:
"We considered the missile defence project to be a new means of collective defence of a community, a member of which, also, Slovakia strives to become."
7. US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Slovak Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda
8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Tonino Picula, Croatian Foreign Minister:
"We are looking for stability and political dialogue as an instrument to overcome this very serious problem in Macedonia. We are very disturbed by the latest news we heard from Macedonia."
9. Powell and Picula
STORYLINE:
U-S President George W. Bush's controversial missile defence programme won support from Slovakia on Friday.
Slovak Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda said he understood the need for the system.
Dzurinda and his foreign minister Eduard Kukan, as well as Croatian foreign minister Tonino Picula, are in Washington meeting with politicians, academics and the media.
They met with US Secretary of State Colin Powell on Friday.
The countries' bid for membership in NATO, the presence of U-S peace-keeping troops in the Balkans, and the conflict in Macedonia were among the topics discussed.
Dzurinda believes Slovakia and other new democracies in eastern Europe should be a part of NATO.
He said an expanded NATO would bring greater security to Europe and the world.
Dzurinda's foreign minister Eduard Kukan said international peacekeepers must be prepared to stay in war ravaged Kosovo for an extended period of time before life will return to normal there.
Also discussed was the situation in the Balkans, including rebel movements in Macedonia.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
