Vilnius group Prime ministers summit in Bucharest
"Croatia is expected to enter MAP in May at a ministerial meeting in Reykjavik", said Racan. "The Bucharest summit was an important step for Croatia towards its admission to NATO", he went on to say and added that "the summit proves that Croatia is getting closer to NATO, one of the strategic objectives of its policy".
Bucharest, March 26 – A two-day summit including prime ministers of ten countries – members of the Vilnius Group (V-10), aspiring towards joining NATO, titled “The Spring of New Allies”, ended in Bucharest.
The summit focused on the importance of NATO’s expansion from the Baltic to the Black Sea, adjustment to the new security threats in the 21st century and NATO’s and the participants’ mutual cooperation and contributions to the global fight against terrorism.
U.S. President George W. Bush sent a message through his envoy to the summit, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, saying the Prague summit would be an opportunity for the strongest possible expansion of NATO. Armitage added that admission depended primarily on the candidates’ commitment to reforms. He also said the United States was gladly expecting an invitation to be forwarded to Croatia in Reykjavik to join MAP.
"The process of strengthening global and regional security and expanding Euro-Atlantic institutions must continue even after the NATO summit in Prague, which implies that further expansion of European and trans-Atlantic security institutions, since new security threats request the closest cooperation possible", said Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan in his speech at the summit in Bucharest and continued, "NATO’s future barriers will not be a factor of division only if its partners outside NATO borders are closely cooperating with NATO".
"Croatia’s strategic goals are entry into the European Union and NATO", Racan said in his address to fellow prime ministers of V-10 countries, adding that Croatia has made significant progress in drawing closer to those goals.
"Croatia has signed a Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union and is hoping that it will be ready to enter the EU by 2006. At the same time, extensive reforms of the defense system are taking place so it can become compatible with NATO standards", he said.
"Croatia is actively participating in NATO’s Partnership for Peace program, and has been involved in an intensive dialogue with NATO since last June. It expects to be included in NATO’s Membership Action Plan (MAP) soon", Racan remarked.
He added that Croatia would continue their preparations for full interoperability with NATO and full membership in the Alliance.
Speaking about Croatia’s efforts to promote stability in South-East Europe, Racan said, "Croatia was doing everything to stimulate the resolution of all open issues and the creation of foundations for even better relations and cooperation with its neighbors". He expressed hope that the EU and NATO would remain in the region, because the process of its stabilization had still not been completed.