Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice To Travel to Brussels and Warsaw

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will travel to Brussels, Belgium and Warsaw, Poland, departing on August 18. Under instructions from President Bush, Secretary Rice has requested an emergency session of the North Atlantic Council to discuss with her counterparts the situation in Georgia and its implications for the region. She also plans to meet with European Union leadership, to include Foreign Minister of France Bernard Kouchner, European Union High Representative Javier Solana, and European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Fererro-Waldner.

In Warsaw, Secretary Rice will sign a formal agreement with Poland on behalf of the United States for the establishment and operation of a ballistic missile defense interceptor site in Poland. This agreement is an important step in our efforts to protect the United States and our European allies from the growing threat posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles.

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