So near and yet so far! Baltic Americans, our colleagues in the Central and East European Coalition and our friends in Washington and across the United States, have worked hard for some eight years to bring about NATO membership for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. We hope that the security the three Baltic countries need, will come to fruition with invitations at the Prague NATO Summit in November.
JBANC thanks all who have taken part in the effort. There are so many who deserve to be recognized. However, outside the Baltic American community, the Polish American Congress and the U.S. NATO Committee deserve a very special round of applause.
At this point in time, almost all persons in authority have indicated that invitations will be handed to seven candidates: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria.
Membership of the Seven will go a long way toward creating a Europe whole and free in a Euro-Atlantic Community. The inclusion of the three Baltic countries will eliminate the danger of a gray zone of instability along the eastern Baltic.
We recognize that invitations at Prague are not the end of the process. The Membership Action Plans will continue, not just for the invitees, but also for current members. There is always a chance for a setback. The invitees must guard against that. They must make sure that all expected criteria are met; that values are understood and capabilities are fulfilled.
At Prague, invitations to new members will be just one of the items on the agenda. Among others: NATO capabilities and parameters of future missions. In essence, what will be the face of the “new NATO”?
Russia will have a chance to voice its opinions through the new NATO-Russia Council, but will have no say in internal NATO issues, membership, or decisions. This is as it should be, as excluding or isolating Russia in the new European architecture can be dangerous.
The new NATO members, including the Baltics, will have a chance to voice their opinions, expectations and suggestions in the creation of a NATO of the future. As equal partners, it is a responsibility they must take seriously.
The Joint Baltic American National Committee, Inc. still has a a lot of work to do. For JBANC, for all Baltic Americans and their friends, it is just the end of Phase One and the beginning of Phase Two.
That’s the ratification process in the U.S. Senate. Two-thirds of the Senate, or 67 votes, are needed to amend the NATO Treaty. JBANC hopes that Baltic Americans and their friends across the fifty states will help in informing their Senators of the need to create a secure Europe.
When the 2004 NATO Summit meets, we hope that the flags of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will be flying next to all the other NATO members, new and old. Only then can we truly say that the consequences of World War Two have been eradicated.
(Vello Ederma is the Chairman of the Joint Baltic American National Council [JBANC]. This editorial - Chairman’s Corner - appeared in the JBANC Chronicle, Oct. 2002. The complete chronicle can be found at www.jbanc.org)