Robertson will probably meet with US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell during his two-day stay in Washington, but no White House meeting has been scheduled so far, the officials said.

Robertson will attend a conference organised by NATO and the Atlantic Council on relations between the alliance and Ukraine, a member of NATO's partnership for peace programme.

European defence ministers, including Germany's Peter Struck, are also expected to be in attendance.

Robertson will then travel to Montreal on Tuesday, the officials said.

SPACE.WIRE