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Ministers,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have a very tight and full schedule today, so let me open with just a few words.

First, I would like to welcome you to this meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Foreign Ministers Session. And let me offer a special welcome to Foreign Minister Mogens Lykketoft of Denmark, and to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, who join us for the first time. Welcome also to Dr. Javier Solana.

I called this meeting today to take advantage of Secretary Powell's first visit to Europe as Secretary of State of the United States. I believe it is an excellent opportunity to exchange views on the full trans-Atlantic agenda with the new U.S. Administration. In a sense, this meeting represents our first step as we begin to chart a course through the issues that we will have to address at the NATO Summit in Prague in late 2002. This means we will spend a fair amount of time this morning on the broad scope of trans-Atlantic security relations. In particular, we will discuss the European Security and Defence Identity and efforts to address the threats posed by weapons of mass destruction, including through missile defence.

We will also discuss the Balkans and, in particular, the situation in southern Serbia. We are deeply concerned about the continuing violence in Kosovo and southern Serbia and we will also be discussing those issues this morning. We call on the parties concerned to engage in direct negotiations aimed at finding a political settlement to the problems in southern Serbia as rapidly as possible. You are all aware, I am sure, that a NATO fact-finding team went to southern Serbia and Belgrade last week and that CounciI will consider some important decisions, regarding possible changes to the Ground Safety Zone provided the Serbia and FRY authorities move ahead with promised confidence-building measures. I will have more to say to the press about this issue immediately after our meeting.

Over lunch - assuming we get to that part of the agenda - I am looking forward to Secretary Powell giving us his impressions following his trip to the Middle East. And we will also exchange views on the positive trends in NATO-Russia relations, following my visit to Moscow last week, and Secretary Powell's meeting with Foreign Minister Ivanov in Cairo on Saturday.