    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
    [April 5, 2008]
    [Pages 469-471]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    April 5, 2008

        Good morning. I'm speaking to you from Europe, where I attended the
    NATO summit and witnessed the hopeful progress of the continent's
    youngest democracies.
        The summit was held in Romania, one of the 10 liberated nations that
    have joined the ranks of NATO since the end of the cold war. After
    decades of tyranny and oppression, today, Romania is an important member
    of an international alliance dedicated to liberty, and it is setting a
    bold example for other former Communist nations that desire to live in
    peace and freedom.
        One of those nations is Croatia, which I'm also visiting on my trip.
    Croatia is a very different place than it was just a decade ago. Since
    they attained their independence, the Croatian people have shown the
    world the potential of human freedom. They've overcome war and hardship
    to build peaceful relations with their neighbors, and they have built a
    maturing democracy on the rubble of a dictatorship.

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        This week, NATO invited Croatia, as well as the nation of Albania,
    to join the NATO alliance. These countries have made extraordinary
    progress on the road to freedom, prosperity, and peace. The invitation
    to join NATO represents the alliance's confidence that they will
    continue to make necessary reforms and that they will become strong
    contributors to NATO's mission of collective defense.
        I regret that NATO was not able to extend an invitation to a third
    nation, Macedonia, at this week's summit. Like Croatia and Albania,
    Macedonia has met all the criteria for NATO membership. Unfortunately,
    its invitation was delayed because of a dispute over its name. I made
    clear that the name issue should be resolved quickly, that NATO should
    intensify its engagement with Macedonia, and that we look forward to the
    day when this young democracy takes its place among the members of the
    NATO alliance.
        After a century when the great wars of Europe threatened destruction
    throughout the world, the continent has now entered into a promising new
    era. Less than two decades ago, Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia suffered
    under the yoke of Communist oppression. The people in these countries
    know what the gift of liberty means, because they know what it is like
    to have their liberty denied. They know the death and destruction that
    can be caused by the followers of radical ideologies who kill the
    innocent in pursuit of political power. And these lessons have led them
    to work alongside America in the war on terror.
        Today, soldiers from Croatia, Albania, and Macedonia are serving
    bravely in Afghanistan, helping the Afghan people defeat terrorists and
    secure a future of liberty. And forces from Albania and Macedonia are
    also serving in Iraq, where they're helping the Iraqi people build a
    society that rejects terror and lives in freedom. These

    nations have displayed the ultimate devotion to the principle of
    liberty, sacrificing to provide it for others.

        Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia are not alone in discarding the
    chains to their past and embracing the promise of freedom. Another
    burgeoning democracy is Ukraine. Earlier this week, I traveled to Kiev
    to express America's support for beginning the process of bringing both
    Ukraine and Georgia into NATO. In recent years, both of these nations
    have seen tens of thousands take to the streets to peacefully demand
    their God-given liberty. The people of Ukraine and Georgia are an
    inspiration to the world, and I was pleased that this week NATO declared
    that Ukraine and Georgia will become members of NATO.
        Nearly 7 years ago, I came to Europe and spoke to the students and
    faculty at Warsaw University in Poland. On that day, I declared that all
    of Europe's new democracies, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, should
    have the same chance for security and freedom and the same chance to
    join the institutions of Europe. Seven years later, we have made good
    progress toward fulfilling this vision, and more work remains.
        In many parts of the world, freedom is still a distant aspiration.
    But in the ancient cities and villages of Europe, it is at the center of
    a new era of hope.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 1:30 p.m. on April 3 in Bucharest,
    Romania, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m., e.d.t., on April 5. The transcript
    was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on April 4, but
    was embargoed for release until the broadcast. Due to the 6-hour time
    difference, the address was broadcast after the President's remarks in
    Croatia. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
    language transcript of this address.

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