It looks like Nicholas Burns has been making some promises — promises I like!

Turning to the agenda for 2006, Burns said the United States wants to continue to work through NATO as the core trans-Atlantic link but to broaden and extend NATO????????s mandate to Africa, Asia and the Middle East. In working with the European Union, ???????the next great mission for us together is spreading the freedom we enjoy in Europe and America,??????? Burns said.

???????We also need to complete our work in Europe by attending to the Balkans, Ukraine and Russia,??????? he said. ???????We need to continue fostering democracy and opposing repression in Central Asia and the Caucasus. And, most importantly, the United States and Europe need to intensify our efforts in the broader Middle East, as well as Africa and Asia.???????

He reiterated the U.S. commitment ???????to pursuing the Freedom Agenda in Russia and Ukraine.??????? In Central Asia, he said, ???????we must engage Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, and demand reform from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.???????

I’m sure a couple of Russian KGB types hit passed out and hit their heads upon hearing this.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO THEM!