NATO chief to receive highest U.S. civilian honor

NATO Secretary-General Lord George Robertson Story Tools

LITTLE ROCK (CNN) -- President Bush will award the Medal of Freedom to NATO Secretary General George Robertson at a White House ceremony on Wednesday.

"Lord Robertson has overseen the most significant transformation of NATO in its history, bringing in seven new members and addressing the security challenges of a new era," said White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan in a written statement.

In December, Robertson, will step down as secretary general, a position he's held since August 1999.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian award. It was established by President Truman in 1945 to recognize notable wartime service and re-established by President Kennedy in 1963 to honor distinguished civilian service in peacetime.

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