[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 130 (Friday, August 1, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1644-E1645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONGRATULATING ALBANIA AND CROATIA ON BEING INVITED TO BEGIN ACCESSION 
           TALKS WITH THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 30, 2008

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, as we now consider and 
certainly will adopt House Resolution 1266, congratulating Albania and 
Croatia on being invited to begin accession talks with the North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization and expressing support for continuing to 
enlarge the alliance, I would like to express my support for these 
countries as they move forward.
  As Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I convened a hearing on NATO 
enlargement in early March, where we examined the respective NATO 
prospects not only of Albania and Croatia but also of Macedonia, 
Georgia and Ukraine. While some of these countries must still contend 
with outstanding issues, whether of their own making or not, I strongly 
support their NATO aspirations and encourage them to move forward as 
well.
  I am well aware of the many hurdles Albania has faced in recovering 
from decades of extremely repressive communist rule. Albania has also 
had to confront an often undeservedly negative image in the rest of 
Europe. Receiving its invitation at the Bucharest summit in April, 
therefore, was an amazing achievement of which every Albanian citizen, 
regardless of their political affiliation, should be proud. It is my 
hope, however, that the sense of accomplishment will encourage the 
country's leaders to continue the transition to a state based on 
democratic norms and the rule of law, especially as Albania prepares 
for elections next year and continues its investigation of the March 
tragedy at Gerdec.
  Croatia also has had to address many challenges prior to receiving 
its invitation, although in its case those challenges related to the 
very violent conflicts associated with Yugoslavia's demise in the 
1990s. It was clear that Croatia always had the potential to recover 
quickly, and it fortunately did just that.
  The challenges Albania and Croatia have faced, in my view, will 
ultimately make them better allies. Their citizens have an appreciation 
of freedom and a desire for protecting freedom that many living in more 
established democracies may have lost. And as countries who can recall 
their dependence on European security structures to help them in their 
times

[[Page E1645]]

of need, they now are committed to becoming contributors to those same 
European security structures.

                          ____________________