The following is a summary of remarks delivered by a ranking U.S. State Department official last week at the Stockholm Security Conference. Please note the excerpt from the speech thay is brought after the end of the summary re: the Baltic States, the Holocaust and inclusion of Russian-speakers. Can this be considered to be the official U.S. position?

*

SUMMARY:

The United States sees Northern Europe as a "success story" that bears replicating in other parts of Europe, the State Department's Heather Conley told participants in the Stockholm Security Conference April 24.

Conley, deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, said the U.S. vision for Europe "embraces countries like Ukraine and Moldova, as well as the Caucasus and Central Asia.

"These nations, many of whom have played vital roles in the fight against terrorism, are also seeking to integrate more actively into the Euro-Atlantic community. The U.S. welcomes this interest; we want to promote the political, economic, and military reforms they need to fulfill it; and I believe that the countries of northern Europe, with their experience in creating such a dynamic region, can help significantly in this."

Conley also discussed NATO and the summit this November in Prague. While noting that the United States favors the "most robust enlargement [of NATO] possible," she urged all the NATO aspirants "to do more to better prepare themselves for membership so that they are ready and able to contribute to European security in tangible ways."

For the Baltic States, she said, this means taking concrete action on issues such as the history of the Holocaust; fully integrating ethnic Russian-speakers into society; taking measurable steps against corruption and transnational crime; and "actively seeking ways to cooperate with Russia."

U.S. goals for the Prague Summit also include "cementing NATO's 'new relationships' with Russia, Ukraine, and other partners, and ensuring that NATO has the 'new capabilities' it needs to meet today's threats," Conley said.

On behalf of the U.S. government and the American people, Conley also thanked the nations of the Baltic Sea region for their assistance in the war against terrorism. "Recognizing that the global war on terrorism will be a long-term effort, our continued cooperation and joint activities - such as ratifying relevant UN conventions, providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, ensuring stronger border and export controls, and seizing terrorist assets - will be vital if we are to be successful," she said.

Following is the excerpt of Conley's remarks on the Baltics:

//... “My fellow panelists will be speaking on the enlargement of the EU, so allow me to focus a bit on NATO. It is no secret that the U.S. wants the most robust enlargement possible; this was the firm message of President Bush in Warsaw last June and it remains our goal. The three aspirant countries in this region have made enormous progress in preparing themselves for membership - indeed, they have been widely, and rightly, praised for their efforts. We certainly must recognize that many countries and governments in this room have provided valuable advice and tangible assistance to the NATO candidate countries to help prepare them for NATO membership. However, all the NATO aspirants need to do more to better prepare themselves for membership so that they are ready and able to contribute to European security in tangible ways. For the Baltic States, this means hard work - not just words but concrete action (emphasis by Estonian Life)- on complex domestic issues like dealing with the history of the Holocaust. It means tackling the difficult task of fully integrating ethnic Russian speakers into society - despite significant political cost. It means coming to grips with and taking measurable steps against corruption at all levels of society and against transnational crime. It means actively seeking ways to cooperate with Russia. All three countries have achieved a great deal in these areas, but much remains to be done in order to sustain and ingrain these habits and laws into their societies”...//

Märkmed: