Dutch PM and foreign minister visit Bush & Bilderberg

Radio Netherlands
Friday, June 6, 2008

Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende and Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen have begun a four-day visit to the United States with a farewell visit to US President George W. Bush. Their Thursday meeting at the White House lasted a little over one hour.

Mr Bush thanked the Netherlands for its cooperation during his time in office and particularly praised the Dutch presence in Afghanistan. After the meeting, Mr Balkenende said he had spoken freely about matters on which the two countries disagree, including climate policy and the US detention facility for terrorist suspects at Guantánamo Bay.

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Mr Verhagen will also hold meetings with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and close aides of presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. Mr Balkenende is attending the Bilderberg Conference, the highly secretive annual meeting of the world's most influential people, which is this year being held in Chantilly outside Washington DC.

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