Prime Minister Sanader: Croatia Receives Clear Sign of Support at NATO Enlargement Ceremony

Washington, March 30 - Croatian Prime Minister Dr. Ivo Sanader said in Washington on March 30 that Croatia's participation in a ceremony at the White House held on the occasion of NATO enlargement was a clear sign of support for Croatia's efforts to draw closer to NATO.

Prime Minister Ivo Sanader was representing Croatia at the Washington event at which seven former countries of the East European bloc formally joined NATO.

Welcoming the prime ministers of the seven new members in his address at the White House, President Bush also welcomed the prime ministers of Croatia, Albania and Macedonia. The troops of the three countries are participating in Afghanistan or Iraq missions demonstrating their commitment while making efforts to join NATO, U.S. President Bush said.

These three countries, joined in the Adriatic Charter, build strong democracies which can contribute to NATO's efforts. The United States supports those efforts, Bush said, adding that NATO's doors would remain open until the whole of Europe was united in freedom and peace.

The Washington event is very important, possibly a watershed in Croatia's integration into NATO, the Prime Minister said.

"We consider the invitation for Croatia to attend the ceremony as a NATO candidate a very clear sign of support to Croatia and the other two countries of the Adriatic Charter (Albania and Macedonia)," Prime Minister Sanader said after the ceremony which was hosted by US President George Bush.

Speaking at a joint press conference held at the National Press Club by the prime ministers of the ten countries, Croatian Prime Minister said that Croatia and the other two members of the Membership Action Plan, Albania and Macedonia, wanted to join NATO as soon as possible.

Croatia aspires to that goal because it wants to share the common values of democracy, freedom, the rule of law, human rights and market economy which the Alliance represents, he said.

Trans-Atlantic cooperation between Europe and the U.S. has no alternative, Prime Minister Sanader said.

"Europe needs the U.S. and the U.S. needs Europe, and Croatia needs both the U.S. and Europe. It wants to be a member of both the E.U. and NATO," he said.

After the meeting at the White House, Prime Minister Sanader told reporters that they did not discuss concrete decisions or dates regarding Croatia because the ceremony was about the cooperation of ten countries with NATO and was therefore not a suitable occasion.

Croatian Prime Minister Sanader said that during his talks with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and his deputy Paul Wolfowitz he had the impression that the door was already open to Croatia.

Earlier he said that Croatia was no longer satisfied with NATO's open-door policy and that Croatia would like a declaration at a NATO summit in Istanbul in late June stating clearly what its prospects are, or rather that it will become a NATO member in the next two to three years.