REYKJAVIK/ZAGREB, May 14 (Hina) - NATO Foreign Ministers in Reykjavik on Thursday confirmed Croatia's joining the Membership Action Plan (MAP) and recognised Croatia's progress in reforms and partnership with NATO and its contribution
to the stability in the Balkans.
REYKJAVIK/ZAGREB, May 14 (Hina) - NATO Foreign Ministers in
Reykjavik on Thursday confirmed Croatia's joining the Membership
Action Plan (MAP) and recognised Croatia's progress in reforms and
partnership with NATO and its contribution to the stability in the
Balkans.#L#
NATO foreign ministers hailed Croatia's participation in the MAP
and called on the country to submit its first Annual National
Programme (ANP) this autumn, the foreign ministers of 19 NATO
member-countries said in a statement.
The MAP is a programme for potential candidates which foresees the
adjustment of standards and criteria to those of NATO member-
countries in policy, economy, legislature, security and military.
The NATO foreign ministers said they expected Croatia to continue
to contribute to the stability in the Balkans.
After joining the MAP only two years after being admitted to the
Partnership for Peace Programme, Croatia has been promoted to the
status of a candidate for full membership in NATO. At least three
years will go by before the passing of an official candidacy, during
which Croatia should implement three MAP Annual National
Programmes.
An official request for Croatia's joining MAP was submitted by
Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula during his visit to NATO in
Brussels on May 8.
The NATO Foreign Ministers in Reykjavik also discussed the
regulation of new partnership relations with Russia and candidates
for NATO membership.
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