US President Bush takes first step to welcome Albania and Croatia to NATO

Alliance process will be complete when all 26 members sign accession protocols

By Deb Riechmann - The Associated Press

WASHINGTON – President George W. Bush signed papers late on Friday to declare formal US support for NATO membership for Albania and Croatia, countries that he said once were in the “shackles of communism.”

At a White House ceremony, Bush signed accession protocols that moved the two Balkan countries a step closer to membership in the expanding military alliance. NATO currently has 26 member countries.

“The citizens of Albania and Croatia have overcome war and hardship, built peaceful relations with their neighbors and helped other young democracies to build and strengthen free societies,” he said. “Once Albania and Croatia formally join NATO, their people can know if any nation threatens their security, every member of our alliance will be at their side.”

Bush said the United States looks forward to the day when NATO embraces all the nations of the Balkans, including the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), whose membership is being held up by NATO member Greece because of a bilateral dispute over the use of the name “Macedonia.” The president also reiterated US support for prospective NATO members Ukraine, Georgia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Bush added: “The door to NATO membership also remains open to the people of Serbia, should they choose that path.”

The ceremony followed Bush’s meeting in the Oval Office with NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, who noted that Albania and Croatia will be the 27th and 28th members of the alliance.

“Their accession will be a boon for NATO, as it will strengthen our common effort to safeguard and promote security and stability,” de Hoop Scheffer told a room filled with about 160 lawmakers, members of the diplomatic corps, the US ambassadors to Albania and Croatia and members of Albanian-American and Croatian-American groups.

“It will also be a boon for Southeast Europe and a vivid demonstration that Southeast Europe can shed its tragic past.”

NATO leaders agreed at a summit this year in Romania to invite Albania and Croatia into the alliance. Alliance members rebuffed US attempts to begin the process of inviting Ukraine and Georgia, both former Soviet republics, to join. Despite strong backing to bring them in, Germany, France and some other alliance members opposed the move, fearing it would provoke Russia.

“We strengthen America’s partnership with nations that once found themselves in the shackles of communism,” Bush said about the enlargement of NATO, which has irked the Russians.

Albania and Croatia will be eligible to join NATO when all 26 allies have ratified the accession protocols. Slovakia, Hungary and now the United States have ratified them to date. NATO officials hope Albania and Croatia will be able to participate as full members at next year’s summit.