12/21/04 MEDIA REACTION ON NEWS OF POTUS VISIT

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SUBJECT: 12/21/04 MEDIA REACTION ON NEWS OF POTUS VISIT


DAILY SME, PAGE 1:"Bush and Putin are coming to
Bratislava" reads the headline above photos of
Presidents Bush and Putin: In February, Bratislava will
become the center of the world for one day, PM Mikulas
Dzurinda announced, noting that on February 24, Russian
President Vladimir Putin will meet his US counterpart
George Bush in Bratislava. "It will be a big day for
the Slovak people and the Slovak nation, and allow me
to express some sentiment, also for me personally,"
said PM Dzurinda, remarking on his personal
relationship with President Bush, "I very honestly
appreciate the friendship I feel on his part." On PAGE
2:The daily suggests that for Slovakia, organizing such
a meeting will be a great challenge, adding that
President Bush will visit Europe in order to fix
mutually complicated relations with the continent. Head
of the unit for protecting state officials Jan Packa
said that measures Bratislava has never seen before
will be taken. On PAGE 2 SME also prints a summary of
previous summits between the Russian and US presidents,
and features Dzurinda's comment that the summit is "a
sign of our balanced politics" and puts an end to
disinformation spread by the opposition saying that
Dzurinda turned Slovakia into an island of US
influence.

DAILY PRAVDA, PAGE 1:"Putin and Bush are going to meet
in Bratislava": The daily reports on the planned summit
between US President George Bush and his Russian
counterpart Vladimir Putin.
PAGE 6:"Putin and Bush are going to meet in Bratislava"
a title above a picture of Bush and Putin from their
last meeting in Chile in November 2004: "Vladimir Putin
is going to meet with George Bush in the capital of
Slovakia" - said a spokesperson from Kremel Alexej
Gromov according to agency ITAR TASS. Bush will fly in
for two days on February 23. This day will be
considered as official visit to Slovakia. The press
section of the Russian Embassy said "at this moment we
have no information". Spokesperson of the Slovak
Ministry of the Foreign Affaires, Juraj Tomaga: "I am
not going to comment on this". As a first official
commenting on this information, Minister of Foreign
Affaires Eduard Kukan said: "It is a signal of
appreciation and trust that we can organize this kind
of meeting". According to theRussian news portal
Bratislava was chosen during the summit in Chile in
November. Bush is also supposed to meet Putin in May in
Moscow to celebrate 60th anniversary of the Nazi
defeat.
PAGE 10:"Honor for Slovakia" - a byliner by Miroslav
Caplovic comments on the upcoming summit of bosses from
the White House and Kremlin. Why did they choose
Bratislava? George Bush considers Slovakia as his
faithful ally, but he has never stopped here on his way
to Europe. It is about time to see his NATO newcomer.
Also Vladimir Putin has had his invitation from
Gasparovic' predecessor Rudolf Schuster on his desk for
a long time. Their visits belong to visits requiring
the highest security so we think that we have a good
reputation in this regard. Slovakia managed to secure
the pope and even the NATO Summit took place without
massive protests.

DAILY NARODNA OBRODA, PAGE 1:"Bush and Putin are going
to meet in Bratislava in February": President Ivan
Gasparovic says that US President George Bush will not
come to Bratislava because of Russian President
Vladimir Putin, but because Slovakia is a country with
the right reactions to international issues. He
considers it important that both state officials have
accepted Slovakia's invitation. The daily quotes Charge
d'Affaires Scott Thayer as saying that President Bush
comes to Bratislava as a friend of Slovakia. PAGE
2:"Bratislava is neutral": Sarah E. Mendelson of the
American Center for Strategic and International Studies
said that American and Russian representatives chose
Bratislava because it is a neutral place for the
meeting. "They probably were seeking something between
the US and Russia. It could not have been the Baltic
countries or Poland and certainly not Ukraine or
Belarus," she said. Prague would have evoked memories
of 1968.

DAILY NOVY CAS, PAGE 1 and 4:"Putin and Bush are
heading to Bratislava!" - a title with picture of Bush
and Putin: The daily brings information on the planned
February 24 summit. The subject of their meeting should
be mostly Ukraine that is going through their velvet
revolution at the moment. Both parties agreed on the
meeting place and both of them are going to visit
Slovakia for the first time.

DAILY HOSPODARSKE NOVINY, PAGE 1 and 4:"Bush and Putin
in Bratislava" a title above a small picture of Bush
and Putin: The upcoming meeting of Russian President
Vladimir Putin and American President George W. Bush
will be on February 24 in Bratislava - said the press
section of the Russian presidential office according to
agency AFP. Putin will be in Bratislava during that
time for an official visit. Bush will visit Slovakia on
his way through European countries where he is going to
straighten up relations with allies.

SLOVAK RADIO, in the news program Radio Journal
announced that the White House would confirm today
President Bush's visit to Bratislava in February next
year where the meeting with Russian President Putin
will take place.

TV MARKIZA, TV News: In February next year a Russian-US
summit will take place in Bratislava. We were first
informed about this event by the Russian side, then
Eduard Kukan (Minister of Foreign Affairs) confirmed it
and then the U.S. Embassy in Slovakia. This will be the
first visit of a US president to Slovakia. The summit
will take place on Feb 24, but Bush may arrive on the
23rd. During his trip to Europe he will visit Berlin
and Brussels too. This Russian - U.S summit is by far
the most important political event that has ever taken
place in Slovakia. PM Mikulas Dzurinda: This bilateral
meeting is taking place in our country, this is a big
day for us, we are happy. Charge d'Affaires, Scott
Thayer: President Bush will come as a friend of
Slovakia and PM. Slovak President, Ivan Gasparovic: It
means so much for us, also from the economic point of
view, it's the way to show trust to our country.

SLOVAK TV: In February Putin and Bush are meeting in
Bratislava, as announced by the Kremlin. This is the
first visit of a US President to our country.
Politicians agreed on this meeting in Bratislava ten
days ago. Bush will also visit Belgium and Germany. PM
Mikulas Dzurinda: This is wonderful for Slovakia to
participate in bilateral talks and to be a host country
of such an event. Slovak President, Ivan Gasparovic:
This confirms that we are a trustworthy country.

TV TA3: US President Bush will come February 23-24, as
announced by PM and Putin's office. PM Dzurinda: This
is so wonderful for Slovakia that it will participate
in bilateral talks and be a host country of such an
event. It also shows the great relationship between US
and Slovakia. Slovak President: President Bush is
coming primarily to visit Slovakia. Slovak MFA Eduard
Kukan, President: The Russian - US summit was not our
initiative. Before they met in Slovenia, so this is a
natural process; they choose neutral countries.

THAYER


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