Washington, 16 May 1997 (RFE/RL) - The White House says U.S. President Bill Clinton and Czech President Vaclav Havel are expected to have an informal meeting in Washington tonight.
Havel has been in Washington since Tuesday. He has met with senior members of the U.S. Congress to discuss the Czech Republic's desire to join the NATO military alliance. However, no formal meeting with President Clinton had been planned for this visit.
The White House said that Clinton and Havel will be among the guests at a private dinner in Washington. The White House declined to say who was sponsoring tonight's event. It will not be at the White House.
Last night, Havel and German President Roman Herzog were jointly awarded the 1997 European Statesman Award by the Institute for East-West Studies in New York. U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright presented the awards that honor efforts toward European reconciliation and tolerance.