Rumsfeld meeting Russian minister

WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld will travel to Alaska this weekend and meet with his Russian counterpart to discuss North Korea’s nuclear program and other issues.

Pentagon spokesman Eric Ruff said Thursday that Rumsfeld and Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov also will probably talk about the troubled Middle East and the continued development of a military relationship between the U.S. and Russia.

Rumsfeld’s meeting with Ivanov, scheduled for Sunday, is part of a four-day trip.