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27 February 2004

Bush Letters to Congress about NATO Invitees

Certifiies cooperation on POW/MIA's, effect on costs

The White House released February 26 two letters from President Bush concerning the seven countries that have been invited to join NATO.

A letter to the U.S. Congress certifies that Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia are cooperating with "the fullest possible accounting of captured or missing United States personnel from past military conflicts or Cold War incidents."

A letter to the U.S. Senate and certifies that the inclusion of the same seven countries in NATO will not "have the effect of increasing the overall percentage share of the United States in the common budgets of NATO" or "detract from the ability of the United States to meet or to fund its military requirements outside the North Atlantic area."

Following are the letters:

(begin text)

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
February 26, 2004

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

Consistent with Condition (3) of the resolution of advice and consent to the ratification of the Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on the Accession of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia, adopted by the United States Senate on May 8, 2003, and based on the recommendation of the Department of State, I hereby certify to the Congress that each of these governments is cooperating fully with United States efforts to obtain the fullest possible accounting of captured or missing United States personnel from past military conflicts or Cold War incidents, to include:

(A) facilitating full access to relevant archival material; and

(B) identifying individuals who may possess knowledge relative to captured or missing United States personnel, and encouraging such individuals to speak with United States Government officials.

GEORGE W. BUSH
The White House
February 25, 2004.

(end letter to Congress)

(begin letter to Senate)

The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
February 26, 2004

TO THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES:

Consistent with Condition (l)(A) of the resolution of advice and consent to the ratification of the Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on the Accession of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia, adopted by the United States Senate on May 8, 2003, and based on the recommendation of the Department of State, I hereby certify to the Senate that:

(i) the inclusion of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia in NATO will not have the effect of increasing the overall percentage share of the United States in the common budgets of NATO; and (ii) the inclusion of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia in NATO does not detract from the ability of the United States to meet or to fund its military requirements outside the North Atlantic area.

GEORGE W. BUSH
The White House
February 25, 2004.

(end letter to Senate)

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)