Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 121.djvu/96

 PUBLIC LAW 110–17—APR. 9, 2007

121 STAT. 75

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(11) On June 15, 2001, in a speech in Warsaw, Poland, President George W. Bush stated ‘‘[a]ll of Europe’s new democracies, from the Baltic to the Black Sea and all that lie between, should have the same chance for security and freedom—and the same chance to join the institutions of Europe—as Europe’s old democracies have. . . I believe in NATO membership for all of Europe’s democracies that seek it and are ready to share the responsibilities that NATO brings. . . [a]s we plan to enlarge NATO, no nation should be used as a pawn in the agenda of others. . . [w]e will not trade away the fate of free European peoples. . . [n]o more Munichs. . . [n]o more Yaltas. . . [a]s we plan the Prague Summit, we should not calculate how little we can get away with, but how much we can do to advance the cause of freedom’’. (12) On October 22, 1996, in a speech in Detroit, Michigan, former President William J. Clinton stated ‘‘NATO’s doors will not close behind its first new members. . . NATO should remain open to all of Europe’s emerging democracies who are ready to shoulder the responsibilities of membership. . . [n]o nation will be automatically excluded. . . [n]o country outside NATO will have a veto. . . [a] gray zone of insecurity must not reemerge in Europe’’. (13) At the Prague Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in November 2002, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia were invited to join the Alliance in the second round of enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization since the end of the Cold War, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization heads of state and government issued a declaration stating ‘‘NATO’s door will remain open to European democracies willing and able to assume the responsibilities and obligations of membership, in accordance with Article 10 of the Washington Treaty’’. (14) On May 8, 2003, the United States Senate unanimously approved the Resolution of Ratification to Accompany Treaty Document No. 108–4, Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on Accession of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia, inviting Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. (15) At the Istanbul Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in June 2004, the North Atlantic Treaty Organiza´ tion heads of state and government issued a communique reaffirming that NATO’s door remains open to new members, declaring ‘‘[w]e celebrate the success of NATO’s Open Door Policy, and reaffirm tody that our seven new members will not be the last. The door to membership remains open. We welcome the progress made by Albania, Croatia, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (1) in implementing their Annual National Programmes under the Membership Action Plan, and encourage them to continue pursuing the reforms necessary to progress toward NATO membership. We also commend their contribution to regional stability and cooperation. We want all three countries to succeed and will continue to assist them in their reform efforts. NATO will continue to assess each country’s candidacy individually, based on the progress made towards reform goals pursued through the Membership Action Plan, which will remain the vehicle to keep

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