(Prague/JBANC) - The decision to issue invitations to seven countries to join the North Atlantic Organization was announced today at the beginning of a two-day Summit meeting of NATO Heads of State and Government in Prague. Among the countries invited to join are Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Following the opening of the Summit at the heavily-guarded Prague Congress Center, NATO Secretary General Lord George Robertson made the long-awaited announcement at 9:55 a.m. local time.
"This is a crucially important decision where consensus among Allies has emerged gradually over the past months. I believe that a consensus has now been reached. Therefore, I would like to ask that the Heads of State and Government agree to invite to the following nations to the Accession talks with NATO: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia" stated Robertson.
President George W. Bush was among many world leaders participating at the Summit. Bush remarked that "by welcoming seven members, we will not only add to our military capabilities, we wil refresh the spirit of this great democratic alliance."
The U.S. delegation also included Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Advisior Condoleeza Rice.
President Bush plans to travel to Vilnius on Friday to meet the three Baltic presidents and other leaders and to lend support to the candidacies of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as they now begin to concentrate on the ratification process. This process is expected to be completed in 2004 by the time of the next NATO Summit.
JBANC Managing Director Karl Altau is attending the NATO Summit in Prague and will also be traveling to Vilnius for a series of celebratory events.
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JOINT BALTIC AMERICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE, INC.
Representing:
Estonian American National Council, Inc.
American Latvian Association, Inc.
Lithuanian American Council, Inc.
Rockville, MD 20850
Tel: (301) 340-1954
Fax: (301) 309-1406
E-Mail:jbanc@jbanc.org
Net: http://jbanc.org