Cheney Arrives For Talks In Croatia

It is Cheney's final stop of a three-nation tour dominated by the issue of political reform in countries making the post-Cold War transition toward democracy.

A Cheney spokeswoman, Lea Anne McBride, said the vice president had assured the five participants present that the U.S. administration will continue its support of their countries' political and economic reform.

The meeting was shadowed by the decision of the Kazakh government to prevent one of the invited guests, Galymzhan Zhaikiyanov, from making the trip to the Kazakh capital of Astana. He was released this winter from prison after serving almost four years on what are viewed as political charges.

In Dubrovnik, Cheney is to hold talks with leaders from Balkan countries hoping to join NATO.

(AP, AFP)