CROATIA SUGGESTS U.S. ANNOUNCE NATO MEMBERSHIP INVITATION AT SUMMIT

WASHINGTON, Nov 15 (Hina) - Croatia has proposed that Albania, Croatia and Macedonia be given a message at next year's NATO summit in Istanbul that they will be invited to join NATO after they meet admission criteria, Croatian Deputy Foreign Minister Ivan Simonovic said in Washington on Friday. #L# Simonovic, Albania's Acting Foreign Minister Luan Hajdaraga and Macedonian Foreign Minister Ilinka Mitreva met U.S. officials at the State Department yesterday for the first ministerial meeting of the U.S.-Adriatic Charter Partnership Council, which focused on the three countries' progress in preparations to join NATO. The U.S. officials were headed by US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage. Croatia has proposed that the Istanbul summit be used to send a clear message that the countries would soon receive a membership invitation, depending on the progress they make, Simonovic said after the meeting. The Croatian official also suggested that a meeting be held ahead of the Istanbul summit, to be attended, among others, by Croatia, Albania and Macedonia. He proposed that a message be sent at the meeting that NATO would invite the countries to join it once they met admission criteria. Simonovic said that his initiative was welcomed by officials from the State Department, the Pentagon and the White House National Security Council. After meetings in the US Congress on Thursday, Simonovic said that Croatia expected to receive the announcement of an invitation at the Istanbul summit. The first next summit, which could be held in 2006, would be an opportunity to send Croatia an invitation for full membership, he said. Armitage told reporters after the meeting at the State Department that he had received positive indications from his guests regarding their countries' economic and social development. The United States appreciates very much their cooperation in the global fight against terrorism, he said. The three countries expect full support from the United States in joining NATO in the alliance's next enlargement round. Over the past two days, the countries' officials were trying to obtain US support for their countries joining NATO as soon as possible. The ambassadors of seven countries of the Vilnius Group, which are to join NATO soon, promised their support to Croatia, Albania and Macedonia at a working breakfast in Washington yesterday. The next ministerial meeting of the U.S.-Adriatic Charter Partnership Council should be held in Skopje next year. (hina) rml