[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 2410-2411]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 459--EXPRESSING THE STRONG SUPPORT OF THE SENATE FOR 
   THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION TO EXTEND INVITATIONS FOR 
    MEMBERSHIP TO ALBANIA, CROATIA, AND MACEDONIA AT THE APRIL 2008 
                BUCHAREST SUMMIT, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

  Mr. LUGAR (for himself and Mr. Voinovich) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 459

       Whereas the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will 
     hold a Heads of State and Government summit at Bucharest, 
     Romania in April 2008;
       Whereas NATO has successfully defended the territory and 
     interests of its members for more than 50 years and 
     contributed to the spread of freedom, democracy, stability, 
     and peace throughout Europe;
       Whereas Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia have been preparing 
     for NATO membership for more than 8 years and are undergoing 
     a historic process of democratic and free market 
     transformation after emerging from decades of occupation;
       Whereas Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia have made important 
     progress toward establishing civilian control of their 
     militaries and demonstrating their ability to operate with 
     the military forces of NATO nations at Alliance standards;
       Whereas Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia continue to make 
     important contributions to the United Nations-mandated 
     International Security Assistance Force, operating under NATO 
     leadership to assist the Government of Afghanistan in 
     extending and exercising its authority and influence 
     throughout Afghanistan, creating the conditions for 
     stabilization and reconstruction;
       Whereas Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia have made important 
     improvements in their democratic processes, including--
       (1) embracing ethnic diversity;
       (2) respecting human rights;
       (3) building a free market economy; and
       (4) promoting good neighborly relations;
       Whereas NATO conducted military operations against the 
     Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to further the objective of a 
     lasting peace in Kosovo;
       Whereas the United States has diplomatically recognized the 
     independence of Kosovo and should support the integration of 
     Kosovo into international and Euro-Atlantic institutions;
       Whereas lasting stability and security in Southeastern 
     Europe requires the military, economic, and political 
     integration of emerging democracies into existing European 
     structures;
       Whereas Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia can play important 
     roles in NATO activities in Southeastern Europe, through 
     their unique geostrategic position and by deterring and 
     disrupting any efforts by any party to destabilize the region 
     through violence;
       Whereas Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty, done in 
     Washington on April 4, 1949, states: ``any other European 
     state in a position to further the principles of this Treaty 
     and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic 
     area'' may be granted NATO membership; and
       Whereas the Riga Summit Declaration, issued by NATO in 
     November 2006, reaffirms that ``NATO remains open to new 
     European members'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) the political independence and territorial integrity of 
     the emerging democracies in Southeastern Europe are vital to 
     European peace and security and to the interests of the 
     United States;
       (2) the expansion of NATO contributes to the Alliance's 
     continued effectiveness and relevance;
       (3) the Senate reaffirms its support for continued 
     enlargement of NATO to include qualified candidates; and
       (4) the United States should take the lead in supporting 
     the awarding of invitations to Albania, Croatia, and 
     Macedonia to join the Alliance at the NATO Summit at 
     Bucharest, Romania in April 2008.

  Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a resolution 
expressing the strong support of the Senate for the North Atlantic 
Treaty Organization to extend invitations for membership to Albania, 
Croatia, and Macedonia at the April 2008 Bucharest Summit.
  The goal of this legislation is to reaffirm United States support for 
continued enlargement of NATO to democracies that are able and willing 
to meet the responsibilities of membership. In addition, it represents 
a call to the administration to provide leadership at the upcoming 
summit to secure this important step in the development of the NATO 
Alliance. Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia have clearly stated their 
desire to join NATO and are working hard to meet the specified 
requirements for membership.
  The Governments in Tirana, Zagreb, and Skopje have been preparing for 
NATO membership for more then 8 years. Each of them is undergoing a 
historic process of democratic and free market transformation after 
emerging from decades of occupation. They have made important progress 
in establishing civilian control of their militaries and demonstrating 
their ability to operate with the military forces of NATO nations at 
alliance standards. Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia continue to make 
important contributions to the United Nations-mandated International 
Security Assistance Force, ISAF, operating under NATO leadership to 
assist the Government of Afghanistan in extending and exercising its 
authority and influence across the country and creating the conditions 
for stabilization and reconstruction. In addition the three candidates 
have made important improvements in their democratic processes; 
toleration of ethnic diversity; respect for human rights; building a 
free market economy; and promotion of good neighborly relations.
  On February 18, 2008, the United States and many of our European 
allies diplomatically recognized the independence of Kosovo. This was 
an important step in putting the bloody history of the Balkans in the 
past, but our work there is not done. The United States and our allies 
must support the integration of Kosovo into international and Euro-
Atlantic institutions. We must also be prepared to work closely with 
Serbia and assist with their goals of joining the European Union and 
engaging European institutions. In my view, lasting stability and 
security in southeastern Europe requires the military, economic, and 
political integration of emerging democracies into existing European 
structures.
  Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia can play important roles in NATO 
efforts in Southeastern Europe. These three countries occupy critical 
geostrategic locations and are best situated to deter and disrupt any 
efforts by any party to destabilize the region through violence. NATO 
membership for these countries would be a success for Europe, NATO, and 
the United States by continuing to extend the zone of peace and 
security into a region that produced a world war and numerous regional 
conflicts that have cost the lives of hundreds of thousands, including 
Americans.
  Bruce Jackson, president of the Project on Transitional Democracies, 
wrote in the Washington Post on February 4 that ``the transatlantic 
allies face two critical questions when they gather for their summit in 
Bucharest in April. The first is whether to invite Albania, Croatia and 
Macedonia to join NATO, a decision that is the culmination of a 15-year 
effort to end the wars that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia.'' Mr. 
Jackson points out that ``critics say that Albania, Croatia and 
Macedonia are not ready for NATO membership . . . But the fact is that 
Albania, Croatia and Macedonia have spent more than eight years in 
rigorous preparation for NATO membership.''

[[Page 2411]]

  Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia are not perfect, and there is more 
each of them needs to do economically and politically. Nevertheless, 
all three countries bring important backgrounds to the table: ``Croatia 
has the most impressive economic performance, and real estate prices, 
of any country in southern Europe. In recent years, Albania has 
contributed more soldiers to missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and 
international peacekeeping than most NATO allies. And since the end of 
the Balkan wars in 1999, Macedonia has covered more ground in building 
an integrated, multi-ethnic society in a short time than any other 
European nation. We now have a chance to bring Catholic Croatia, 
secular-Islamic Albania and multi-ethnic, Orthodox Macedonia into the 
Euro-Atlantic community of democracies. Not bad.''
  Mr. Jackson concludes by asking an important question. ``Imagine if 
[the Alliance] had waited until Greece and Turkey had completed their 
internal debates before inviting them to join NATO. Any further delay 
on the candidacies of Albania, Croatia and Macedonia will diminish 
regional stability just as Kosovo begins its extended period of 
supervised independence, and will confuse and undercut the European 
Union as it takes over chief security responsibilities from the United 
States and NATO throughout the region. An inability to close this 
chapter in the Balkans would also dangerously slow our engagement with 
Europe's East.''
  Now is the time for NATO to invite these three important Balkan 
leaders to join the alliance. If NATO is to continue to be the 
preeminent security alliance and serve the defense interests of its 
membership, it must continue to evolve and that evolution must include 
enlargement. Potential NATO membership motivates emerging democracies 
to make important advances in areas such as the rule of law and civil 
society. A closer relationship with NATO will promote these values in 
Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia and contribute to our mutual security.
  Five years ago, the U.S. Senate unanimously voted to invite seven 
countries to join NATO. Today, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, 
Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia are making significant contributions to 
NATO and are among our closest allies in the global war on terrorism. 
It is time again for the United States to take the lead in urging its 
allies to bring in new members and to offer timely admission of 
Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia to NATO.

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