PRESS RELEASE

25 April 1999

NATO Expansion ‘Paused’

"With regard to aspiring members, we recognise with great interest and take account of the positive developments towards democracy and the rule of law in a number of southeastern European countries, especially Romania and Slovenia".

– NATO Summit. Madrid Declaration, 8 July 1997

"Today we recognise and welcome the continuing efforts and progress in both Romania and Slovenia".

– NATO Summit, Washington Communique, 24 April 1999

NATO leaders decided to pause expansion for the foreseeable future. Instead, they issued a Membership Action Plan (MAP) which is "designed to reinforce that firm commitment to further enlargement". However the MAP provides no timeframe for NATO membership nor a guarantee for eventual membership for Eastern Europeans.

A Romanian official speaking to BASIC on the condition of anonymity recently stressed that although his country did not expect to be invited to start accession negotiations at the Washington Summit, it would, at the very least, seek "a firm timeframe" for eventual membership. Romania’s Western orientation and democratic reform "would be compromised if the Alliance rejects us for a second time", the official said.

"This provides a reality check on these nations’ idea that NATO is their Father Christmas. The EU stability plan provides a less glamorous but more profitable source of security", said Daniel Plesch, Director of BASIC. Last week, despite strong internal opposition, Romania and Bulgaria offered the unrestricted use of their airspace to NATO aircraft for bombing missions against Yugoslavia. "NATO depends on the cooperation of those states in its war against Milosevic. Rejecting them at this stage is short-sighted at least", said Plesch.

The MAP consists of a programme of activities designed "to assist aspiring countries in their preparations for possible future membership" [emphasis added]. These include commitments to strengthen democracy, human rights, the democratic control of the armed forces, and programmes to improve interoperability in defence planning and military equipment with NATO states.

The MAP also includes plans to allow the Eastern States to undertake peace enforcement operations through PfP perhaps in situations where Western nations are reluctant to take casualties, Eastern nations will be asked to prove themselves.

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