2006年VOA标准英语-Montenegro Pledges Support to US-Led War on Ter

By Barry Wood
Tirana, Albania
26 September 2006 

		Defense1 Donald H. Rumsfeld, left, listens to Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic as they hold a joint2 news conference" src="/upimg/allimg/070428/1414520.jpg" width="185" border="0" /> US Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, left, listens to Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic as they hold a joint news conference

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld met Tuesday with Montenegro's prime minister and received the former Yugoslav Republic's support for the U.S.-led war on terrorism.

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Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic told Rumsfeld that Montenegro would consider sending troops to support U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Mr. Djukanovic called terrorism a global threat that Montenegro wants eliminated. He said his mountainous coastal³ republic wants to join the partnership⁴ for peace, NATO's program of cooperation with 23 non-NATO countries.

Montenegro in July declared independence from its loose federation⁵ with Serbia and Mr. Djukanovic's party was the winner in parliamentary elections earlier this month.

Rumsfeld is now in neighboring Albania where he is attending a meeting of defense ministers from eight Southeast Europe countries that want to join NATO. Albert Rakipi, chairman of Albania's Institute for International Studies, says all major political parties in Albania support NATO membership. "Being a NATO member would mean the country is definitely out of crisis and out of having [external] threats [to stability]. So first all, from the security point of view, NATO membership for Albania is crucially important," he said

A U.S. defense department spokesman says Rumsfeld will thank Albania for sending peacekeeping troops to Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. Albania, already a member of NATO's partnership for peace, hopes to receive an invitation to join the western defense alliance in 2008. It first signaled its intention to join NATO in 1992, only a year after communism collapsed⁶ in Albania.

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

3 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

4 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

5 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

6 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。