US President George W. Bush will visit Europe May 7-10 to mark the 60th anniversary of the World War II, White House national security adviser Stephen Hadley said Wednesday.

"The purpose of the trip, really, is twofold: To honor the shared sacrifice of millions of Americans, Europeans and others todefeat tyranny, and at the same time, to mark the growth of democracy throughout Europe and the world, more generally," Hadleysaid.

Bush will begin his visit on Saturday with a stop in Riga, where he will meet the leaders of the three Baltic nations that formally joined the NATO last year.

On May 8, Bush will be in the Netherlands for a speech at the military cemetery at Margraten where more than 8,000 US soldiers, killed during the allied assault on Germany, are buried.

Bush will travel to Moscow to meet Sunday evening with Russian President Vladimir Putin. On May 9, he will attend World War II anniversary ceremonies organized by Russia.

Source: Xinhua