[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book II)]
[July 8, 1997]
[Pages 922-923]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks Prepared for Delivery to the North Atlantic Council in Madrid
July 8, 1997

    Mr. Secretary General; Prime Minister Aznar; fellow leaders. First I 
would like to thank Prime Minister Aznar for his hospitality in hosting 
this important meeting. I am also very pleased to be joined in Madrid by 
leading Members of our Congress, from both Houses and both parties.
    Three and a half years ago in Brussels, we began to construct a new 
NATO for a new Europe, taking on new missions and new partners. Part of 
that effort included changes in NATO's command structure. I want to 
confirm my belief that we will make the alliance stronger by continuing 
to develop the European Security and Defense Identity and giving Europe 
a greater role within NATO. By working toward a simplified, more 
efficient military command structure, we will be better able to meet the 
demands of new missions.
    In this regard, I welcome Spain's intention to fully integrate into 
NATO's military command. And I truly hope that in the very near future 
France will join a reformed command structure on terms acceptable to 
France and consistent with the military effectiveness of the alliance.
    With respect to enlargement, I believe we should make our alliance 
broader by inviting Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic into NATO, 
for the following reasons. Over the past 7 years, these are the 
countries that have proved their readiness to join us at this table. 
While their work is still in progress, they have met the highest 
standards of democratic and market reform. They have now pursued those 
reforms long enough to give us confidence they are irreversible, just as 
our offer of NATO membership is irreversible. It is important to 
remember that fact when we make our decision. There is no precedent for 
removing or disinviting members from the alliance.
    Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic have settled outstanding 
disputes with their neighbors. They have established civilian control of 
their armed forces and shown that they are prepared to meet the stiff 
military requirements NATO demands. I believe we can afford the cost to 
ourselves of adding these three countries to NATO's strength.
    I also believe that these three countries' smooth and successful 
integration will create momentum for others to follow. Today, we must 
commit to keep the door of this alliance open to all those ready to meet 
the responsibilities of membership. I believe we should exclude no 
European democracy. There are other states that are close to being fully 
qualified to join. When they are ready and the time is right, I believe 
we should welcome them.
    We should not discount the other steps that NATO is taking with its 
partners. Tomorrow we will hold the first summit-level meeting of the 
Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. I am sure that every one of us is 
happily surprised by just how successful the Partnership For Peace has 
been in enabling more than two dozen countries to work closely with 
NATO. The new Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council will

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give these countries a forum for deeper consultations with the alliance 
and greater participation in decisionmaking for operations to which they 
contribute. The enhancement of the Partnership For Peace will also speed 
countries along the road to eligibility for NATO membership.
    To conclude, Mr. Secretary General, our position is that we should 
decide today to admit three countries to the alliance. Since this is an 
irreversible step, we should offer membership to those countries that 
are irreversibly committed to democratic reforms, while keeping the door 
firmly open to the admission of other countries in the future.

Note: The President spoke at approximately 11 a.m. at the Juan Carlos 
Conference Center, but a transcript of his remarks was not available. 
This item follows the advance text released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary. In his remarks, the President referred to NATO Secretary 
General Javier Solana and President of the Government (Prime Minister) 
Jose Maria Aznar of Spain.