Washington, 12/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - The American Secretary of State Colin Powell will carry out his first official visit to Brussels next 27 February, to take part in the special meeting of NATO Foreign Affairs Ministers. "I hope at the same time to meet the European Union leaders and the Commission President Romano Prodi," he told the press.
This exchange of views between Mr Powell and his alliance counterparts was called by the NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson, given the flurry of issued to be tackled before the next regular session of the North Atlantic Council, at the end of May in Budapest, including the controversy over the planned American National Missile Defence (NMD) and the European Security and Defence Policy.
Brussels will be the final stage of the first official tour by Mr Powell abroad, a five day voyage that will take him to Egypt, 23 February, then to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Gaza, the Left Bank and, three days later, to Kuwait.