Bush To Meet With NATO Chief This Month

U.S. President George W. Bush will welcome NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer to the White House on Feb. 29, the White House said in a statement on Wednesday. "The president appreciates the Secretary General's strong leadership of the NATO Alliance and his commitment to the transatlantic partnership. The president looks forward to reviewing work underway to strengthen and enlarge the Alliance at the NATO Summit in Bucharest, Romania April 2-4, 2008," the statement said. "The president and the secretary general will also discuss the Alliance's efforts to promote and safeguard democracy and freedom, including in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Balkans," the statement added. The Afghan situation is expected to be a high priority at the meeting between Bush and the NATO chief. The United States has urged reluctant NATO allies to send more troops to Afghanistan to fight against the Taliban forces.