CHICAGO/WASHIGTON, March 14 (Hina) - A draft resolution which calls on NATO to consider the admission of Croatia, Albania and Macedonia by 2007 was on Friday proposed to the US House of Representatives, and Congress is expected to
adopt in a few weeks' time.
CHICAGO/WASHIGTON, March 14 (Hina) - A draft resolution which calls on
NATO to consider the admission of Croatia, Albania and Macedonia by
2007 was on Friday proposed to the US House of Representatives, and
Congress is expected to adopt in a few weeks' time.#L#
The chairman of the House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Europe,
Doug Bereuter, on Friday moved the draft resolution which welcomes the
admission of seven central European countries to NATO at the
forthcoming summit of the alliance, scheduled for June in Istanbul,
and supports plans to consider the entry of countries covered by the
US-Adriatic Chapter into NATO by 2007.
The draft resolution 558 recommends that heads of state and government
of NATO member-countries consider the process of enlargement,
including candidacies of Albania, Croatia and Macedonia at a summit
which will be held not later than 2007.
The document reads that Albania, Croatia and Macedonia are the
remaining countries included into the Membership Action Plan (MAP),
and that they have signed the US-Adriatic Charter reaffirming their
commitment to values and principles of NATO and ambitions to join the
alliance as soon as possible.
Croatia is specifically mentioned in the resolution's preamble which
says that the Croatian government, elected in November 2003, has shown
its commitment to the implementation of reforms and fulfilment of
conditions for integration in EuroAtlantic institutions. including
reforms in the defence sector, which is necessary for membership in
NATO. Besides, Croatia has sent its troops in Afghanistan for the
international peace mission called ISAF led by NATO.
The Subcommittee on Europe is to hold a discussion on the document on
17 March.
The chairman of the House Committee on International Relations, Henry
Hyde, told Hina in Chicago on Saturday that the House of
Representatives would probably adopt the resolution in a few weeks'
time.
Addressing Croat Americans in Chicago, who gathered for an annual
banquet of the Croatian American Association (CAA), Hyde said the
United States would like to help Croatia join NATO and the European
Union as this would be good both for Croatia and Europe, and that he
would do his best to strengthen the ties between Croatia and the
United States which he described as cordial and war,
The Croatian Ambassador to Washington, Ivan Grdesic, assessed the
resolution as very good.
"It does not focus only on Croatia, but a major part of the paper
focuses on countries-candidates, and in this way on Croatia, too,"
said Grdesic who also attended the Chicago banquet.
In Janaury, Croatia's Parliament President Vladimir Seks and Foreign
Minister Miomir Zuzul launched an initiative in Congress in order that
it might adopt a resolution which would support Croatia's speedy
accession to NATO. As a result, several sections of the draft
resolution 558 contain the identical sections of the Croatian
proposal, Grdesic said.
Doug Bereuter will in his capacity as the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly's head visit Albania, Croatia and Macedonia this summer to
get acquainted with the implementation of necessary reforms.
Addressing CAA members, a Democrat candidate for the President, Dennis
Kucinich, and members of Congress, Janice Schakowsky and Ed Derwinski
supported Croatia's efforts to enter NATO and the EU.
(Hina) ms