Florence, Italy 25 May 2000

Welcoming Remarks by NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson at the PFP Framework Document signing ceremony with Croatia It is a great pleasure for me to welcome Foreign Minister Picula to this special meeting of the North Atlantic Council and Croatia. We have gathered here today for a historic occasion and are delighted that Croatia is about to join the Partnership for Peace and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. By accepting the invitation of the North Atlantic Council to join PfP and EAPC and by signing the PfP Framework Document today, Croatia is about to embark on a new and promising path towards enhanced cooperation with like-minded friends and Partners in the Euro-Atlantic area. We have all been impressed by Croatia's landmark changes and the Croatian government's commitment to reforms in its domestic and foreign policies. Mr. Minister, when I met with you and other officials in Zagreb only two months ago, I reaffirmed NATO's willingness to help and encourage your country in its ambitious reform programme. At the time, I also underscored the wish of the North Atlantic Council to meet your aspirations to join PfP at the appropriate time. It is thanks to your personal efforts and vision that we are meeting here today and are opening a new chapter in NATO-Croatia relations. In joining PfP, your country is not joining a military alliance. Rather, you are taking advantage of the opportunity for practical military and defence-related cooperation in a framework flexible enough to accommodate countries with widely different security traditions. At the same time, by joining PfP and EAPC, you have a unique opportunity to help us shape the security environment of South-East Europe, a region still facing many challenges. Through her new policies, Croatia is already contributing to stability and good-neighbourly relations in her immediate vicinity. La prochaine étape pour la Croatie sera d'approuver un programme de partenariat individuel qui répondra à vos besoins tout en restant en harmonie avec les objectifs du Partenariat. Par ailleurs, nous attendons avec intérêt les consultations que nous aurons au sein du Conseil de partenariat euro-atlantique. Comme vous le savez, le CPEA est devenu un précieux forum pour des consultations politiques et une coopération pratique d'envergure entre plus de 40 pays de la région euro-atlantique. La Croatie sera tout à fait la bienvenue au sein de ce forum. Nous souhaitons que la nouvelle relation entre l'OTAN et la Croatie contribue de façon substantielle à la sécurité et à la stabilité dans l'ensemble de la région euro-atlantique.