US Secretary of State to Visit France, BalkansUS Secretary of State Colin Powell will visit Bosnia, Macedonia and Kosovo next week after a meeting in Paris with European diplomats on the overall situation in the Balkans, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.The meeting, slated to be held in Paris on April 11, will involve representatives of the United States, Russia, France, Britain, Germany and Italy. Powell plans to visit three Balkan countries the next day and is likely to inspect U.S. troops stationed in Kosovo and Bosnia. In Macedonia, he is expected to offer assurances of support for the Macedonian government in its effort to put down extremist activities by ethnic Albanians that began last month. NATO-led forces in Kosovo have been attempting to cut off infiltration by Kosovo Albanians who support the insurgency in Macedonia. The trip will be Powell's third abroad since taking office. He visited Mexico on Feb. 16 and traveled to the Middle East and Europe at the end of February. |
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