NATO Summit Madrid, 8 July 1997

Doorstep Interview by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Mr Tony Blair PRIME MINISTER: I think it is a very good document in the end. What we have agreed is a very considerable expansion of NATO to include the three countries Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. We have recognised that there are strong claims from other countries but we are going to proceed in a hard-headed and realistic way. I think that for us in Britain and for the United States that is very important, because we have got huge defence commitments and very professional fighting forces and we want to make sure they are used properly. QUESTION: There is no denying the divisions that exist within NATO members at the moment. After all, yourself and President Clinton seem to be in a minority here. PRIME MINISTER: No, I don't think that is quite right. Of course, some countries would have liked to have gone further and put in five and not three, and some even more than five, but the British and indeed the American view supported by other countries as well, was that we have to be very hard-headed about this. This is a big expansion of NATO. This is a military guarantee that we are giving to these countries that come into NATO. Particularly if you have got fighting forces as professional and of such quality as ours you have to be very careful in giving these military guarantees. So I think yes, of course, some countries would like to have gone further but I think we got a realistic, sensible agreement. QUESTION: Is there a lot of unhappiness between President Chirac and President Clinton, there does seem to be? PRIME MINISTER: No, I don't think so. There was obviously a desire on the part of France to go further, but we have reached a sensible agreement and the purpose of summits like this is to conduct business sensibly. QUESTION: What difference is there between the American and the French view within NATO? PRIME MINISTER: I really don't think we should exaggerate that at all. What is important, as I explained in my contribution today, is to understand that this is not a political club that people are joining. It is a military alliance. And if we are to put our fighting forces in the front line to defend countries that are coming into NATO we have to be very sure that it is the right thing to do. Our view, the American view and the view of other countries as well, was that we should do this carefully step by step. We welcome the strides that have been made by other countries like Romania and Slovenia, the great advances that they have made, we welcome that, but we have got to make sure that NATO remains a strong defence security for us. It has got to remain strong and that is important not just for us but for any countries that may join in the future.