Istanbul, Turkey 29 June 2004

Joint Statement of the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the Republic of Albania, Republic of Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia(1) on the Occassion of the NAC-EAPC Summit Events NATO Istanbul Summit 1. We, the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the Republic of Albania, Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Macedonia, express our full support to the North Atlantic Council Istanbul Summit Communique, to its letter and the spirit. We reaffirm the readiness of our countries to keep providing, and extending wherever it is feasible, all our effective contribution to NATO's policies, initiatives, missions and operations. 2. We reiterate our commitment to achieve full membership in NATO at the earliest possible date, on our individual merits. We will keep reinforcing and accelerating all the reforms necessary to attain an ever higher degree of overall compatibility and interoperability with the Alliance. 3. We express our satisfaction with the North Atlantic Council's reaffirmation of NATO's Open Door policy vis-a-vis our three countries, with the fact that the enlargement process will be kept under continual review. We are happy to see the Alliance welcoming our progress and commending our contribution to regional stability and cooperation. We are grateful for all the assistance the Alliance and its member-countries provide us with in our reform efforts. We are entierly confident that we will be able to fulfil the criteria for the invitation to begin Accession Talks with NATO before the next Summit. 4. We will keep pursuing an intensive cooperation among our three countries, in any given field where it makes a difference, mutually supporting each other on our way to NATO. 5. We consider our cooperation, within the US-Adriatic Charter, as an important instrument of enhancing the regional stability and prosperity. We share profoundly the objective of seeing the entire region fully integrated into the Euro-Atlantic structures. We strongly support and encourage Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro in then- efforts to join Euro-Atlantic integrations as soon as possible. for the Republic of Albania for the Republic of Croatia for the Republic of Macedonia 1. Turkey recognises the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name.