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CNN Live At Daybreak

Bush Leaving Prague for Russia

Aired November 22, 2002 - 05:04   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: With the NATO summit complete, President Bush is making reassurance and revelry top priorities. Mr. Bush is leaving Prague this hour for Russia. He'll try to convince President Putin NATO's eastward expansion is no threat. Mr. Bush is scheduled to arrive in St. Petersburg two and a half hours from now. After the meeting with President Putin, Mr. Bush heads for Vilnius, where he'll join celebrations over Lithuania's invitation to join NATO.
For a look at what the NATO summit accomplished, we go live to Prague and CNN's Chris Burns -- good morning, Chris.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, they worked right up until Bush departed. In fact, they're still working right now. But there was an important meeting this morning where Bush -- President Bush attended, the EAPC. That's not just alphabet soup. The European Atlantic Partnership Council, that is a grouping of the 19 NATO nations plus 27 other countries. They're looking toward the east, towards Central Asia. Suddenly this council has become extremely important in the war on terror.

Uzbekistan, for example, has been used for bases. These countries are being courted by NATO for closer cooperation. Also among them, three other potential new NATO countries will be attending, as well, Macedonia, Croatia and Albania. Tense also the because President Kuchma from Ukraine came. He was not invited. He crashed the party, a shadow over him, as Lord Robertson says, the secretary general of NATO, because of allegations that he helped, he approved sales of radar to, sophisticated radar to Iraq. So he's having to answer some questions as he's here.

Also, the NATO Russia Council meeting today at the foreign ministers level, also an important meeting. The NATO secretary general saying that the relations between NATO and Russia are very improved and very important right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LORD ROBERTSON, NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL: We briefed this morning on the decisions taken by NATO to enlarge and ministers noted the assurances of NATO ministers that these decisions are not directed against the security interests of Russia or, indeed, of any other partner state.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BURNS: U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice saying that Russia and NATO have found a common enemy. And other meetings today, the NATO Ukraine Commission, that also meeting. There was a diner ballet last night the NATO leaders went to. Also, a demonstration last night. But the demonstrations have been fairly low key. Security very tight here. It appears to be a success -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Chris Burns, thank you very much.

We'll have more on the Bush-Putin meeting in the next hour. CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty will join us then.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired November 22, 2002 - 05:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: With the NATO summit complete, President Bush is making reassurance and revelry top priorities. Mr. Bush is leaving Prague this hour for Russia. He'll try to convince President Putin NATO's eastward expansion is no threat. Mr. Bush is scheduled to arrive in St. Petersburg two and a half hours from now. After the meeting with President Putin, Mr. Bush heads for Vilnius, where he'll join celebrations over Lithuania's invitation to join NATO.
For a look at what the NATO summit accomplished, we go live to Prague and CNN's Chris Burns -- good morning, Chris.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, they worked right up until Bush departed. In fact, they're still working right now. But there was an important meeting this morning where Bush -- President Bush attended, the EAPC. That's not just alphabet soup. The European Atlantic Partnership Council, that is a grouping of the 19 NATO nations plus 27 other countries. They're looking toward the east, towards Central Asia. Suddenly this council has become extremely important in the war on terror.

Uzbekistan, for example, has been used for bases. These countries are being courted by NATO for closer cooperation. Also among them, three other potential new NATO countries will be attending, as well, Macedonia, Croatia and Albania. Tense also the because President Kuchma from Ukraine came. He was not invited. He crashed the party, a shadow over him, as Lord Robertson says, the secretary general of NATO, because of allegations that he helped, he approved sales of radar to, sophisticated radar to Iraq. So he's having to answer some questions as he's here.

Also, the NATO Russia Council meeting today at the foreign ministers level, also an important meeting. The NATO secretary general saying that the relations between NATO and Russia are very improved and very important right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LORD ROBERTSON, NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL: We briefed this morning on the decisions taken by NATO to enlarge and ministers noted the assurances of NATO ministers that these decisions are not directed against the security interests of Russia or, indeed, of any other partner state.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BURNS: U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice saying that Russia and NATO have found a common enemy. And other meetings today, the NATO Ukraine Commission, that also meeting. There was a diner ballet last night the NATO leaders went to. Also, a demonstration last night. But the demonstrations have been fairly low key. Security very tight here. It appears to be a success -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Chris Burns, thank you very much.

We'll have more on the Bush-Putin meeting in the next hour. CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty will join us then.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com