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WASHINGTON, June 9, 2003 – Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld leaves today for four days of talks with European leaders, culminating in the NATO defense ministerial June 12.
Rumsfeld's first stop is Portugal, where he will speak with Defense Minister Paulo Portas on his country's contribution to the global war on terror. The secretary will then fly to Tirana, Albania, for consultations with that country's leaders and discussions on the overall situation in the Balkans, DoD officials said. They said they will also discuss the road for Albania ultimately joining the North Atlantic Alliance. Rumsfeld will then travel to Germany for a speech to the students at the George C. Marshall Center for International Studies in Garmisch before traveling to Brussels and the NATO meeting. The seven new NATO members Slovakia, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Bulgarian and Slovenia will take their seats for the discussions.
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