ZAGREB, June 24 (Hina) - NATO Secretary-General George Robertson on Monday expressed satisfaction with progress Croatia had made in ensuring stability and security in the region.
ZAGREB, June 24 (Hina) - NATO Secretary-General George Robertson on
Monday expressed satisfaction with progress Croatia had made in
ensuring stability and security in the region. #L#
Croatia has made great progress, it is a highly responsible
regional factor of security and stability in this part of the world,
Robertson said during his key-note speech at NATO's conference in
Zagreb on Monday. He added that NATO considered Croatia's prospects
for its membership open.
Robertson attended NATO's conference called " Regional Stability
and Cooperation: NATO, Croatia and Southeastern Europe" which
started on Monday morning in the Croatian capital. The beginning of
the event, however, was postponed for one hour as the Secretary-
General arrived in Zagreb later than expected.
He recalled that Croatia had recently entered NATO's Membership
Action Plan (MAP), and added that the following spring, one year,
after Zagreb's accession into the MAP, would be a good moment for
considering what Croatia did within the MAP. It will be the next
step in Zagreb's bids to come closer to the Alliance, Robertson
said.
All the countries of the Vilnius 10 group, are MAP members and their
officials will meet in Riga in early July at the last meeting before
NATO's summit in Prague, set for November this year. Nine members of
Vilnius 10, are longer in the group than Croatia, and therefore they
enjoy better chances for joining NATO at the Prague summit. Croatia
is likely to be the front runner of the so-called third wave of the
Alliance's expansion.
Robertson pointed to the importance of regional cooperation and
assessed that Croatia had a constructive approach to it. Successful
regional cooperation is important for drawing closer to NATO, he
said.
(hina) ms