ZAGREB, March 31 (Hina) - The House of Representatives of the US Congress on Tuesday adopted a resolution calling on leaders of NATO member-countries to agree on discussing the entry of Croatia, Albania and Macedonia in the alliance
not later than 2007, when they convene at a NATO summit in Istanbul on 28 and 29 June this year.
ZAGREB, March 31 (Hina) - The House of Representatives of the US
Congress on Tuesday adopted a resolution calling on leaders of NATO
member-countries to agree on discussing the entry of Croatia, Albania
and Macedonia in the alliance not later than 2007, when they convene
at a NATO summit in Istanbul on 28 and 29 June this year.#L#
The resolution also welcomes last Monday's admission of seven new
members, former countries of the East European bloc, namely Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, and
expresses support to the remaining candidates for NATO membership:
Croatia, Albania and Macedonia.
Resolution 558, moved by Congressman Doug Bereuter, recommends that
heads of state or government of NATO member-countries, who will
convene in Istanbul this June, should agree on considering the process
of the enlargement. including membership candidacies of Albania,
Croatia and Macedonia, until 2007.
The text also says that the three countries are the remaining
countries covered by the Membership Action Plan (MAP), and that they
have signed the US-Adriatic Charter confirming their commitment to
values and principles of the alliance as well as their wish to
contribute to peace and security in south-eastern Europe.
Croatia is specifically mentioned in the resolution's preamble which
says that the new Croatian government has demonstrated its commitment
to the implementation of reforms and fulfilment of conditions for
integration in Euro-Atlantic institutions, including reforms in the
defence sector as well as that Zagreb has sent its troops for the
NATO-led international peace mission in Afghanistan.
(Hina) ms