Washington ? Secretary of State Colin Powell says the Bush administration will continue to focus on building democratic societies in Afghanistan and Iraq in 2004, but is “resolved as well to turn the president’s goal of a free and democratic Middle East into a reality.”

Without going into details, he wrote in an opinion page article for Thursday’s editions of The New York Times that the United States would “stand by the Iranian people, and others living under oppressive regimes, as they strive for freedom.”

Powell said in an interview earlier this week that recent actions taken by Iranian leaders, particularly more openness about the country’s nuclear development program, might open a window for more friendly relations with the United States.

“This struggle will not be confined to the Middle East,” Powell wrote. “We are working for the advent of a free Cuba, and toward democratic reform in other countries whose people are denied liberty.”

But he said “freedom cannot flourish and prosperity cannot advance without security” and that “al-Qaida remains a great danger.”

“The war on terrorism remains our first priority,” he said, “but success in that war depends on constructive ties among the world’s major powers. These we pursue without respite.”

He declared that America’s relations with Russia, China and India all improved in 2003 and that “ties with allies old and new have been strengthened as well, despite the growing pains of adjustment to a new era.”

He did not refer specifically to France and Germany, which have been at odds with the U.S. administration over Iraq, but noted in a pointed reference to the growing importance of Eastern European countries that “both NATO and the European Union will expand this year, which is good news for international security.”