[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 50 (Monday, December 16, 1996)]
[Page 2481]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement Announcing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Summit

December 10, 1996

    Today, America and its NATO allies agreed to hold a NATO summit on 
July 8-9, 1997, in Madrid to take the crucial next steps on the 
enlargement and adaptation of the North Atlantic alliance for the 21st 
century. This marks an important milestone on the road to an integrated, 
democratic, and secure Europe.
    The summit will seek to advance a strong and enduring NATO-Russia 
partnership; to strengthen partnership with all of Europe's new 
democracies; to approve adaptations within NATO to prepare the alliance 
to meet the challenges of the coming century; and to invite the first 
aspiring NATO members to begin accession talks to join the alliance. My 
goal is to see NATO take in its first new members by 1999, the 50th 
anniversary of NATO's founding and the 10th anniversary of the fall of 
the Berlin Wall.
    From the beginning of my administration, I have worked hard to end 
the cold war division of Europe and to create, for the first time in 
history, a Europe united in democracy, security, and free market 
prosperity. Now, we must continue to reach out to Russia, and include 
this great nation in the fabric of Europe's emerging community of 
democracies. We must open the doors of Europe's institutions that 
nurtured peace, prosperity, and security throughout the cold war to 
Europe's new democracies, excluding no nation that shares our values and 
is willing and able to shoulder our common responsibilities.
    NATO has never threatened any other nation, nor will an enlarged 
NATO do so in the future. While NATO's new members will be full members 
of the alliance, NATO has no intention, no plan, and no reason to deploy 
nuclear weapons on the territory of new members.
    We have made tremendous progress over the last 4 years in realizing 
our vision of an undivided Europe at peace, and no one deserves more 
credit than Warren Christopher. Thanks to his efforts, Secretary-
designate Madeleine Albright and my new national security team will have 
a strong foundation on which to achieve that important goal.