WASHINGTON, Apr 28 (Hina) - The signing of the U.S.-Adriatic Charter scheduled for May 2 will be postponed due to State Secretary Colin Powell's trip to the Near East.
WASHINGTON, Apr 28 (Hina) - The signing of the U.S.-Adriatic
Charter scheduled for May 2 will be postponed due to State Secretary
Colin Powell's trip to the Near East. #L#
The charter formalises the United States' support to Croatia,
Albania, and Macedonia on their road to NATO and envisages
cooperation between the three countries in the region in meeting
conditions for admission to the alliance.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said on Monday he was
not certain when the charter would be signed. Asked about the reason
for the postponement, he cited Powell's very busy schedule.
Croatia's Ambassador in Washington Ivan Grdesic told Hina the
signing was postponed because of Powell's Near East tour which did
not give the state secretary sufficient time to concentrate on the
charter.
"We expect a new signing date," Grdesic said.
Boucher said the U.S. was committed to the charter. Asked when it
could be signed, he said no date had been determined.
A senior State Department official left room for the possibility
that the charter might still be signed. He told Hina the signing
could be postponed if Powell were to be travelling on the scheduled
date, or the charter might be signed by Powell's deputy, Richard
Armitage.
At the mention of speculation in Croatia that by postponing the
signing the U.S. was punishing Croatia for the insufficient support
to the military strike against Iraq, the official said the delay was
not a political but a technical issue. The U.S. wants the charter
and strongly supports it, he said.
(hina) ha