NATO foreign ministers discuss prospects on enlargement and operations
NATO’s 26 foreign ministers met for informal talks at NATO Headquarters
in Brussels on 6 March 2008 to set the state for possible decisions at
the upcoming Bucharest Summit in April.
The meeting focused on enlargement of the 26-nation Alliance and current
NATO missions in Kosovo and Afghanistan.
Foreign ministers reviewed the progress made by Albania, Croatia and
the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia1, the aspirants to become members
of the Alliance.
In a press conference, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop
Scheffer made clear that no decision has yet been made on issuing invitations,
but stressed that the decision time is “rapidly approaching.”
“Let me only say this: there is no enlargement
fatigue at NATO,” said Mr. de
Hoop Scheffer. “I hope and expect that by
the time of the Bucharest Summit, we will be able to say that the NATO
family is growing again."
Deepen relations with the Western Balkans
Allied ministers discussed how to deepen relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina
and Montenegro and expressed the hope that NATO will be able to taken
concrete steps in that direction.
“Euro-Atlantic integration is the recipe for security” in the Western
Balkans, stated Mr. De Hoop Scheffer.
Foreign ministers stressed the need to keep NATO’s hand
open to Serbia, a vitally important country in the region. Serbia
joined the NATO Partnership for Peace in December 2006.
Ministers also discussed NATO’s relationship with Ukraine and Georgia
and their recent request to join the Membership Action Plan (MAP).
The NATO Secretary General emphasized that the speed at which countries
move closer to NATO will depend on the success of their reform efforts
and that membership aspirations of any country will be decided by the
NATO member states alone.
“No third party will influence that process. NATO's door is
open,” he said.
NATO missions and operations
NATO operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo were also key items of the
meeting and the foreign ministers had a substantial discussion on all the issues
related to Kosovo.
“KFOR will continue to play its role as the bedrock
of security in Kosovo according to its UN mandate,” the Secretary General stated.
On Afghanistan, foreign ministers agreed that substantial progress has
been made and showed their clear determination to stay united and reach
success.
Heads of state and government will gather in the capital of Romania
in April in NATO’s largest Summit ever to deliberate on the
Alliance’s enlargement, its operations and the new security
challenges.