    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book I)]
    [February 24, 1997]
    [Pages 195-196]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Letter to Congressional Leaders Transmitting a Report on the Enlargement
    of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
    February 24, 1997

    Dear Mr. Chairman:
        Pursuant to section 1048 of the National Defense Authorization Act
    for Fiscal Year 1997, I transmit herewith a report on the enlargement of
    the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
        For over 50 years, successive Presidents and Congresses have
    maintained a firm, bipartisan consensus that the security of Europe is
    vital to the national security of the United States. It remains so.
    NATO, even as it evolves and adapts to a changing world, remains the
    core of the transatlantic alliance that has served American interests
    for two generations.
        Inclusion of new members into NATO's ranks is an indispensable
    element of a broader American strategy to create an undivided,
    democratic Europe for the 21st century. By extending the underpinnings
    of security beyond the arbitrary line of the Cold War, NATO can
    strengthen democratic and free market reforms for all of Europe, just as
    it has done for Western Europe in the decades since 1949. By admitting
    new states to the alliance, NATO will limit and help eliminate a
    potentially destabilizing vacuum in Europe, widening the circle of like-
    minded nations sharing common values and willing to

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    shoulder common responsibilities and burdens. Already, the prospect of
    NATO enlargement has strengthened stability and democracy, and promoted
    regional cooperation among the states of Central and Eastern Europe.
        The enlargement of NATO is not directed against any state; NATO does
    not see any nation as its enemy. By extending security and stability
    throughout Europe, NATO enlargement will serve the interests of all of
    Europe's democracies--whether they are current members, new members, or
    nonmembers. The United States looks forward to the building of a strong,
    dynamic relationship and unprecedented partnership between NATO and
    Russia.
        NATO enlargement is moving ahead. NATO has agreed to hold a Summit
    on July 8-9 in Madrid at which one or more nations will be invited to
    begin negotiations on accession to the Washington Treaty; I have called
    for NATO to welcome new members by 1999, and NATO has accepted this
    goal. Continued close and bipartisan cooperation between the Congress
    and the executive branch are, and will remain, the keys to achieving
    this objective. Addition of new members to the North Atlantic alliance
    must be submitted to the Senate for its advice and consent, and both
    houses of the Congress will have to approve the resources necessary to
    make enlargement a reality.
        I thank the Congress for the constructive role it has played in
    recent years to advance the enlargement of NATO. I look forward to
    working with the Congress to achieve our common objective of a wider
    circle of security, prosperity, and common values embracing an
    integrated Europe and the United States.
        Sincerely,

                                                          William J. Clinton

    Note: Identical letters were sent to Jesse Helms, chairman, Senate
    Committee on Foreign Relations; Benjamin A. Gilman, chairman, House
    Committee on International Relations; Strom Thurmond, chairman, Senate
    Committee on Armed Services; and Floyd Spence, chairman, House Committee
    on National Security.