[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 27 (Monday, July 8, 2002)]
[Pages 1141-1142]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Videotape Remarks to the Vilnius Ten Group of Nations

 July 5, 2002

    I'm honored to send greetings to the leaders of the Vilnius Ten 
group of nations aspiring to join the NATO Alliance. I want to thank 
Prime Minister Berzins and President Freiberga for hosting this 
important event in the great city of Riga. I'm also pleased that Senator 
Trent Lott and some of his colleagues were able to visit with you today. 
The U.S. Senate has a critical role to play in ratifying any expansion 
of NATO, and I appreciate my friend Senator Lott's leadership on these 
vital issues.
    Our nations share a common vision of a new Europe, where free 
European states are united with each other and with the United States 
through cooperation, partnership, and alliance. We seek a new Europe 
that has buried its historic tensions and is prepared to meet global 
challenges beyond Europe's borders. America will continue to work arm in 
arm with Europe on fulfilling this vision.
    At the Prague Summit later this year, we can take a major step by 
enlarging NATO to include all of Europe's democracies that are ready to 
share in NATO's responsibilities. Since you first met in Vilnius over 2 
years ago, your countries have made real progress on the essential 
reforms necessary for NATO membership. Work continues, as it must, to 
prepare your nations to make the greatest possible contributions to the 
new Europe we are building.
    Today, our nations face another historic challenge: to defeat the 
forces of global terror. The attacks of September the 11th took place in 
the United States, but their target was freedom, itself. All of Europe 
and freedom-loving nations everywhere are threatened by these forces of 
chaos and hatred.
    NATO has risen to the challenge, declaring that an attack on one of 
its members is an attack on all. And NATO nations have made valuable 
contributions to the war on terror in Afghanistan and elsewhere. NATO 
must prepare itself to fight and defeat terror and the other threats to 
freedom that we face together. And new members will help improve NATO's 
capabilities.
    The Prague Summit will mark the beginning of a new era in Europe and 
in trans-Atlantic relations, defined by greater security and greater 
prosperity and greater freedom. We will see the great alliance of 
liberty grow and prepare to fulfill its old mission in a new era. And I 
am determined to succeed and determined that our children will record 
this year as a momentous turning point in their history.
    I wish you success at your meeting. I have met most of you, and I 
look forward to seeing my good friend Aleksander in a few weeks here in 
Washington. We have a great opportunity ahead of us. The hopes and 
prayers of the American people are with you.
    Thank you all very much.

Note: The President's remarks were videotaped at approximately 3 p.m. on 
June 28 in the Blue Room at the White House, for later transmission to 
the meeting in Riga, Latvia. The transcript was released by the Office 
of the Press Secretary on July 5. In his remarks, the President referred 
to Prime Minister Andris Berzins and President Vaira Vike-Freiberga of 
Latvia; and President Aleksander Kwasniewski of Poland. A tape was

[[Page 1142]]

not available for verification of the content of these remarks.