A Partnership council of U.S. - Adriatic Charter will be held in Washington D.C.

Washington, November 12, 2003 – The first meeting of Partnership council of U.S. -Adriatic Charter will be held on November 13 and 14 in Washington D.C.  The meeting will be hosted by U.S. Department of State. 

The U.S. – Adriatic Charter of partnership and collaboration, signed in Tirana on May 2, 2003, initiated a forum on the Charter between Croatia, Macedonia and Albania, along with active partnership of the United States, in the spirit of solidarity and cooperation of members of the Vilnius group.  Within the context of the Charter, the three states expect the United States’ full support at the occasion of the next round of NATO enlargement.    

The main activities of the Charter are focused on exchange of experiences between the three countries in their implementation of NATO’s Membership Action Plan, as well as acquisition of full U.S. government support in implementation of all reforms needed for their full NATO membership.  The signatories of the Charter are thereby also showing an added resolve in their active participation of the promotion of peace and security in the world, in the spirit of Trans-Atlantic partnership.

The host of the first meeting of the Partnership counsel, on behalf of the United States administration, will be deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.  At the meeting of the Partnership council, the Croatian delegation will be led by deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Ivan Simonovic. Albanian delegation will be led by acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Luan Haidaraga, while the Macedonian delegation will be led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Ilinka Mitreva.

On the occasion of the visit by Dr. Simonovic to Washington D.C., there will be a series of meetings with U.S. congressmen and senators.  During his stay in Washington, Dr. Simonovic will present the Croatian path towards NATO at the Woodrow Wilson institute panel.