[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

[[Page 196]]

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.