NATO would-be members reaffirm commitment in fight against global terror

By
Alison Mutler

BUCHAREST - Leaders of 10 former communist countries seeking to join pledged Tuesday to continue to fight global terrorism, saying stability in their East European region enhanced their chances of becoming members of the alliance.

In remarks closing a two-day conference gathering NATO hopefuls, Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase said the region and NATO could cooperate to make Eastern Europe "a stronghold against the threats of the new century, terrorism, trans-border and organized crime, intolerance and extremism."

The meeting brought together government leaders from 10 countries that are candidates for NATO membership: Romania, Slovakia, Macedonia, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Albania, Croatia, Bulgaria and Slovenia.

The Bucharest gathering was one of a series ahead of a November NATO summit in Prague, the Czech capital. The alliance is then expected to announce new members, though it hasn't yet said which countries it will admit.

Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman, whose country became a NATO member in 1999, told the leaders the alliance was more than just a military group.

"There are two necessary conditions (for membership): Sharing common values — not just common weapons — and participating in the common fight against terrorism — not just by words, but by deeds," he said.

The Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary were the first former communist countries to join the alliance.

Focusing on their geographical advantages, on the eastern rim of Europe, the 10 aspiring members meeting here said they could preserve stability in the region.

"The global war on terrorism has not only spurred us to complete the job of building a Europe whole and free, but it has also underscored the urgent need to consolidate stability in Southeastern Europe," the 10 said in a joint statement summing up the conference.