BRATISLAVA, Jan 24 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will meet for four hours during their summit next month in Slovakia, Slovak officials said here Monday.
Slovak officials have proposed the summit be held in Bratislava Castle, set on a hill in the historic old centre of the Slovak capital but Washington and Moscow have to agree with the venue for the February 24 summit.
The castle is surrounded by protective high walls, and US and Russian experts are due to arrive in the city at the end of this week to discuss the venue.
Security is expected to be tight with about 5,500 police officers and 400 fire officers to be deployed for the visit.
Bush, accompanied by First Lady Laura Bush, will arrive on February 23 and meet Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic and Slovak Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda the next day, Gasparovic's spokesman Marek Trubac told AFP.
Putin, who will also be accompanied by his wife Ljudmila, will meet with Slovak officials the day after the summit.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will accompany the presidents, said Miroslav Lajciak, head of the summit's organising committee.
Bush's new National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley is also expected to make the trip.
According to Czech news agency CTK, Rice and Lavrov will hold bilateral talks and meet with Slovak Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan.
01/24/2005 14:33 GMT - AFP