Ljubljana, 06 June (STA) - American ambassador in Ljubljana, Ms Nancy Halliday Ely-Raphel hopes that the fact that apart from Nicosia, Cyprus, Ljubljana is the only city where the US and Russian embassies stand side by side, is a good sign that the summit meeting between the presidents of the USA and Russia, George Bush and Vladimir Putin, on 16 June in Slovenia will bring positive results. As she pointed out for STA, in her opinion the most important thing that the Slovenia summit will bring is that the two presidents, who will have a relatively short time to go over a whole range of issues, will meet face to face for the first time and will be able to form an impression of each other.

The American ambassador does not believe that the choice of location for the Bush-Putin meeting was a random selection: both the USA and Russia have very good relations with Ljubljana, and in many respects Slovenia was a logical choice, the envoy believes. And of course there is the important part Slovenia plays in the ensuring of peace and stability in South Eastern Europe. In her opinion the role of Slovene political leaders should not be underestimated either, for their familiarity with the situation in this part of Europe has been invaluable for the USA.

The ambassador went on to note that she was enjoying excellent cooperation with the Russian ambassador in Ljubljana, Tigran Karakhanov, in the preparations for the summit meeting, which she is looking forward to very much. Indeed American ambassadors very rarely get the chance during their term of office to host two heads of state. "The preparations for the summit in Slovenia are progressing very effectively, we all have a lot of experience from the past and I can count on your government to see that everything runs smoothly," said ambassador Nancy Ely-Raphel. The American Embassy is in constant touch with the Slovene government, the White House, the Russian ambassador and the media. A large number of people are coming from Washington to help with the preparations, for the embassy in Ljubljana is small, and the preparations for the summit are an enormous undertaking. "We are also cooperating very well with Slovene interior minister Rado Bohinc, who is heading the organizing committee, with the prime minister's office and with the protocol office. I am convinced that the summit in Slovenia will be equally if not more successful than the visit to Slovenia by former President Bill Clinton in 1999, which was an exceptional event for all of us," said the ambassador.

At the meeting, the USA and Russia will work on a whole range of bilateral issues, including the American plans to build an anti-rocket defense system. "The USA and Russia share responsibility for establishing a firm, stable and serious relationship, which will ensure the fulfillment of interests of both countries and contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in the world," believes the American ambassador. Presidents Bush and Putin will most probably also talk about the crisis in the Middle East, where both countries are striving for a stabilization and calming of the situation, and about relations with Iraq, which owing to its dissatisfaction at the extension for only a month of the UN oil-for-food program has stopped exporting oil.

One possible subject of the talks between the US and Russian presidents is enlargement of the NATO alliance, which Russia opposes. As ambassador Ely-Raphel pointed out, a clear message has been given in statements by the new American Secretary of State Colin Powell that the US is firmly committed to an open-door policy. "All the member states of the NATO alliance say that it would be senseless to halt enlargement of the alliance. Just when enlargement will happen, I don't know, but I suspect that something will happen at the alliance summit next year in Prague. But it is clear that this must be by agreement of all the member states, and does not just involve an American decision," she added.

The visit by American President Bush to Slovenia will also present an opportunity for his first meeting with Slovenia's political leadership after taking office. "President Bush will discuss with the Slovene president and prime minister the common commitment to build a free, integral and peaceful Europe," predicts the American ambassador. In her opinion Bush's visit will also be important in that on his very first trip to Europe he will be able to form an impression of Slovenia, as will Secretary of State Colin Powell and the president's national security adviser Condoleezza Rice.

In response to the question, how would the arrival of the new US administration affect relations between Slovenia and the USA, the American ambassador replied that she "could not imagine US-Slovene relations being very much better, for they are already very, very good." Here she singled out for special praise Slovenia's support of NATO during the Kosovo crisis and its contribution to the international peace-keeping units of SFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina and KFOR in Kosovo.