Bratislava, 9 July 1997 (RFE/RL) - Slovakia's Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar is scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright today at the NATO summit in Madrid.
Our correspondent reports Meciar also plans to meet with NATO General Secretary Javier Solana today. Western diplomats have criticized Meciar for the lack of freedom in Slovakia and his government's friction with Hungarian minorities and opposition parties.
Commenting on NATO's eastward expansion last night, Meciar said Slovakia's security would not be threatened if his country does not become a NATO member. However, he said NATO's offer to consider Romania and Slovenia for membership in a second round of enlargement in 1999 has "significance" for Slovakia.