[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 13 (Monday, April 7, 2008)]
[Pages 452-453]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Letter to Congressional Leaders Transmitting a Report on North Atlantic 
Treaty Organization Enlargement

March 28, 2008

Dear Mr. Chairman:

    Pursuant to section 3(2)(E)(i) of the Resolution of Ratification to 
the Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on the Accession of 
Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic adopted on April 30, 1998, I am 
pleased to submit the enclosed report on the Future Enlargement of NATO.

[[Page 453]]

    In doing so, I note with appreciation the continued and strong 
bipartisan support that the Congress has shown on the issue of NATO's 
next round of enlargement.
    The report provides the following information for each of the three 
current NATO aspirants:
(I)          An evaluation of how each country will further the 
            principles of the North Atlantic Treaty and contribute to 
            the security of the North Atlantic area;
(II)         An evaluation of the eligibility of each country for 
            membership based on the principles and criteria identified 
            by NATO and the United States, including the military 
            readiness of each country;
(III)        An explanation of how an invitation to each country would 
            affect the national security interests of the United States;
(IV)         An up-to-date United States Government analysis of the 
            common-funded military requirements and costs associated 
            with integrating each country into NATO and an analysis of 
            the shares of those costs to be borne by NATO members, 
            including the United States; and
(V)          A preliminary analysis of the implications for the United 
            States defense budget and other United States budgets of 
            integrating each country into NATO.
    The report is classified due to the nature of the information it 
contains assessing aspirants' capabilities and contributions.
     Sincerely,
                                                George W. Bush

Note: Identical letters were sent to Robert C. Byrd, chairman, Senate 
Committee on Appropriations; Carl Levin, chairman, Senate Committee on 
Armed Services; Joseph R. Biden, Jr., chairman, Senate Committee on 
Foreign Relations; David R. Obey, chairman, House Committee on 
Appropriations; Ike Skelton, chairman, House Committee on Armed 
Services; and Howard L. Berman, chairman, House Committee on Foreign 
Affairs. This letter was released by the Office of the Press Secretary 
on April 1.