BBC News Online: World: Europe

Clinton urges European unity

Mr Clinton was speaking in the German city of Aachen, after receiving the prestigious Charlemagne Prize, in recognition of services to European peace and unity.

He goes on to Moscow to meet President Putin on Saturday.

Unfinished business

Mr Clinton said the whole world should take notice of how Europeans had buried their differences to commit themselves to forming a united Europe.

"We must work to build a partnership with Russia," he said.

"We do not yet know if Russia's hard-won democratic freedoms will endure."

Mr Clinton said a major piece of unfinished business was to make south-east Europe fully part of this united Europe.

"Our goal must be to de-balkanise the Balkans", he said, so that peace there endures.

Missile disagreement

Mr Clinton's visit to Germany has so far been dominated by public disagreement over US plans for a new anti-ballistic missile defence system.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder used the award ceremony to urge dialogue again between the US and Europe on the plans.

"As this issue could have effects well beyond the US, it is in the sense of the alliance that it be treated in a spirit of partnership," Mr Schroeder said.

The US missile programme, dubbed the new Star Wars, is expected to be a key topic of discussion when Mr Clinton visits Moscow.

Peace and war

The award citation says that Mr Clinton is being honoured particularly for US military efforts to preserve the rule of law in the Balkans.

US-led Nato air attacks in Bosnia in 1995 and in Kosovo in 1999 ended military offensives in both regions by Serbian forces.

Some European pacifists have objected to what is supposed to be a peace prize being presented for military action.

After the ceremony, Mr Clinton returned to Berlin for dinner with Chancellor Schroeder and a dozen other world leaders ahead of a short conference on so-called 'Third Way' politics - alternatives to the traditional socialist and conservative approaches to government.