Estonian formin reiterates support for integration of Croatia, Albania and Macedonia with NATO
06.03.2008
TALLINN, Mar 06, BNS - Estonia is in favor of giving Croatia, Albania and Macedonia Membership Action Plans (MAPs) during the NATO summit in Bucharest next month, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said at an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on Thursday.
"Estonia supports giving all three countries membership action plans in Bucharest, assuming that the candidate nations will continue carrying out the necessary reforms and preparations at the same pace," said Paet.
He said that drawing the nations of the Western Balkans closer to NATO is essential for ensuring the security of the region.
In their speeches, NATO foreign ministers acknowledged the efforts made by the three countries to carry out reforms. The general message was positive, though the ministers emphasized the need to continue the reform process and resolve the name issue between Macedonia and Greece as quickly as possible.
The foreign ministers of the alliance also exchanged thoughts about the desire of Georgia and Ukraine to join the NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP). The discussion over their endeavors will continue, spokespeopole for the Estonian Foreign Ministry said.
Estonia has backed giving a MAP to Ukraine and Georgia already this year.
The ministers spent a part of the meeting discussing preparations for the NATO summit to take place in Bucharest from April 2-4. The main topics of the meeting were further expansion of the alliance, partnership relations with Georgia and Ukraine, NATO operations, and cooperation with the European Union in operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo.
Talking about NATO operations, the Estonian minister emphasized that effective international cooperation and coordination of the efforts of different organizations play a vital role in the building up of Afghanistan.
"NATO and other international organizations must clearly define their roles in building up Afghanistan," said Paet.
The foreign minister expressed hope that the European Union's contribution will increase and that we will get a clearer sense of Afghanistan's needs.
Many ministers emphasized the need for more extensive cooperation between NATO and the European Union in the operations. Paet also emphasised the importance of political dialogue and information exchanges between the two organizations.
"There is a practical need for more extensive cooperation," Paet stated. "For example, the safety of the members of the European Union Police Mission in Kosovo and Afghanistan depends directly on the effectiveness of cooperation between the two organizations," he added.
Tallinn newsroom, +372 610 8861, sise@bns.ee
 
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