US President George W. Bush said yesterday it was a high priority for the US to secure the release of five Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death in Libya for infecting children with HIV.
"We strongly support the release of the Bulgarian nurses in Libya," Bush said in Sofia, where he was wrapping up his eight-day European tour.
"It's a high priority for our country," Bush said. "Our hearts also go out to the children that have been infected by HIV and AIDS."
The five nurses and a Palestinian doctor were convicted in December of deliberately infecting 426 children with HIV in a highly politicized trial that has hampered attempts by OPEC member Libya to restore full relations in the West.
On Sunday, Saif al-Islam, the son of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, indicated that efforts to free the six foreign medics -- jailed since 1999 -- may be nearing conclusion after a "positive" initiative from the EU.
The medics say they are innocent and were tortured to make them confess.
On Sunday, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier -- whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency -- traveled to Libya to try to win their release.
"The German EU presidency and the European Commission are striving to exert the necessary influence on Libya so that the individuals in question are released as soon as possible," the German government said yesterday in a statement.
Bush's European journey was marked by underlying tensions between the US and Russia over missile defense systems, Kosovo and democracy.
Bush, while continuing to call Russian President Vladimir Putin a "friend," in a speech in Prague criticized Russia for backsliding on democracy.
Bush yesterday reaffirmed a demand for Kosovo to be given independence but said Serbia could get membership of NATO and better relations with the West if it agreed.
"As we seek independence for Kosovo, we have also got to make it clear to Serbia that there is a way forward, maybe in NATO maybe in the EU and definitely in better relations with the United States," Bush said after talks with Bulgarian leaders.
Bush said yesterday said he hoped that a plan for US and Russian experts to analyse each other's proposal for a missile defense shield would be beneficial.
"There's a process where we can collaborate, share information in a very transparent way which I think will be beneficial," for designing systems that "protect us all," Bush said.
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