Albania and Croatia became NATO's newest members Wednesday in a historic expansion into the western Balkans region.
The two Balkan nations will be ceremonially inducted into NATO during a
summit in Strasbourg, France, and Kehl, Germany, on Friday and Saturday
to mark the alliance's 60th anniversary. The two new states will take
total members nations to 28.
"This is very welcome news" NATO spokesman James Appathurai said. "Albania and Croatia have worked very hard to meet alliance standards with regard to democracy, and the reform of their militaries."
Albania and Croatia's long-expected accession came after all of Nato's member states submitted ratification documents.
After Wednesday's ceremony at the US state department, Croatia's ambassador said his country intended to assume its share of the security burden in Afghanistan, where Nato leads the 55,000-strong International Security Assistance Force (Isaf).
"We are determined to take our share of responsibility for global peace and stability in places such as Afghanistan but also in other parts of the world," Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic said.
Her Albanian counterpart, Aleksander Sallabanda, said Albania was "ready to take up all the challenges and responsibilities that participation in the alliance entails".
"In this context, we will work with responsibility and constructively with our partners to strengthen the... alliance to protect our common values," he added.
Both countries will be welcomed into Nato during its 60th anniversary summit in Strasbourg, France, and Kehl, Germany, later this week.
"This is very welcome news" NATO spokesman James Appathurai said. "Albania and Croatia have worked very hard to meet alliance standards with regard to democracy, and the reform of their militaries."
Albania and Croatia's long-expected accession came after all of Nato's member states submitted ratification documents.
After Wednesday's ceremony at the US state department, Croatia's ambassador said his country intended to assume its share of the security burden in Afghanistan, where Nato leads the 55,000-strong International Security Assistance Force (Isaf).
"We are determined to take our share of responsibility for global peace and stability in places such as Afghanistan but also in other parts of the world," Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic said.
Her Albanian counterpart, Aleksander Sallabanda, said Albania was "ready to take up all the challenges and responsibilities that participation in the alliance entails".
"In this context, we will work with responsibility and constructively with our partners to strengthen the... alliance to protect our common values," he added.
Both countries will be welcomed into Nato during its 60th anniversary summit in Strasbourg, France, and Kehl, Germany, later this week.
Comments (3)
robert-0
said:
 |
... For albania and albanians --- congratulations and mazel tov! SAA and nato, i am very pleased and both are well earned. everyone knows the struggle has not been easy. the war, a nightmare; Hoxja, a true nightmare... isolation, corruption, most of us had long given up on albania, at least when i was growing up. how things have changed, yes, slowly but surely. i've been to albania now a few times, and it has always been lovely, most esp.ly the people. i only got into one teeny-tiny argument with a young man there, who tried to assure me that the Hoxja era wasn't "so bad"... yeh, and uncle joe stalin was a sweet ole guy. anyway people are entitled to their opinions but i am deeply grateful that THAT era of a million concrete pillboxes (?) is long behind us. may you prosper and do well in these never easy times. roberto, frisco |
Write comment
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
