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Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Washington File

29 April 2003

NATO Candidates Support Alliance Operations, Iraq Coalition

(Testimony of State Dept.'s Robert Bradtke to House subcommittee) (3410)
A State Department official says the seven countries invited to join
NATO -- Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and
Slovenia -- "are continuing to behave as de facto allies" by
contributing to the war against terrorism, to NATO operations in the
Balkans and Afghanistan, and more recently to coalition efforts to
disarm Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
Robert Bradtke, deputy assistant secretary of State for European and
Eurasian affairs, noted that all seven countries offered political
support to the United States in dealing with Iraq in a statement
issued by the "Vilnius-10" group on November 21, 2002 and again in
February 2003.
"Six of the seven have now joined the Coalition to Disarm Iraq, and
all have expressed a willingness to help in post-conflict
reconstruction," Bradtke told a subcommittee of the House
International Relations Committee April 29.
He said the candidate countries' enthusiasm, dedication to shared
goals, contributions to mutual security, and hard work on political
and economic reforms "have reminded us of why NATO is so important. It
is an enduring community of democracies; it is the essential
transatlantic link; it is a guarantor of peace and stability. For
these seven nations, it is the fulfillment of fifty years of hope and
aspiration."
The United States supports "the continuing pursuit" of NATO membership
by Albania, Croatia and Macedonia, Bradtke said, noting that Secretary
of State Colin Powell is meeting with the foreign ministers of those
countries at the beginning of May to sign the 'Adriatic Charter' to
promote and enhance cooperation.
Following is the text of Bradtke's testimony as prepared for delivery:
(begin text)
U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C.
TESTIMONY BEFORE THE HOUSE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON EUROPE
ON NATO ENLARGEMENT
Robert Bradtke, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and
Eurasian Affairs
April 29, 2003
Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee, thank you for this opportunity
to testify before you.
At the outset, I would also like to thank you, Chairman Bereuter, for
your strong leadership in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. We are
grateful for the time and effort you have devoted to this very
important responsibility. I would also like to thank the Committee and
its staff for the very close cooperation we have had over the past two
years on NATO enlargement. These discussions helped shape the
Administration's decision-making before the NATO Summit in Prague.
Mr. Chairman, it was last June when my colleague, Deputy Assistant
Secretary Brzezinski and I appeared before this committee to report on
the process by which the Administration was evaluating the candidates
who were seeking to be invited to join NATO at Prague. At that time, I
testified that the nine countries that had been pursuing NATO's
Membership Action Plan -- Albania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia,
Lithuania, Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia -- were taking
the MAP process seriously, and that all were working hard on
political, economic, and defense reforms. I also pointed out that the
nine MAP participants were acting already in important ways as de
facto allies in the War on Terrorism and in the Balkans.
In the months following that hearing, the Administration continued to
monitor carefully the progress of the candidates and urge more work on
reforms. In July, I traveled to Riga, along with our Ambassador to
NATO, Nick Burns, to meet with the leaders of all nine countries on
the margins of a "Vilnius-10 Summit." Later in the summer, we
conducted what we called a "mid-term review" of reform implementation
with each of the embassies of the aspirant countries here in
Washington.
Finally, in October, another team led by Ambassador Burns, again
including myself and Deputy Assistant Secretary Brzezinski, visited
each of the nine countries. We met with every Prime Minister and
nearly every President, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of
Defense. We pressed for work on reform programs, and we sought
assurances that the reform process would continue well beyond the
Prague Summit, if an invitation to join NATO would be forthcoming.
When NATO's leaders met in Prague last November, they took stock of
the candidates and made the decision to invite seven countries to join
the Alliance: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia,
and Slovenia. By issuing the invitation to these countries, President
Bush and his fellow NATO leaders determined that these countries were,
in the words of Article 10 of Washington Treaty: "in a position to
further the principles of the Treaty and to contribute to the security
of the North Atlantic area."
Mr. Chairman, developments since Prague have confirmed the wisdom of
this decision.
* All seven invitees are continuing to behave as de facto allies, by
providing overflight and basing rights and providing troops to
peacekeeping operations in the Balkans and Afghanistan.
* All of the invitees, acting through the "Vilnius-10" group offered
their political support to the U.S. in dealing with Iraq in a
statement on November 21, 2002. And again in February in another V-10
statement, they reiterated this support. Six of the seven have now
joined the Coalition to Disarm Iraq, and all have expressed a
willingness to help in post-conflict reconstruction.
* All of the invitees have reaffirmed their commitment to spend at
least two percent of GDP on defense, and are in a position to make
real contributions to carrying out NATO missions. When they join the
Alliance, they will bring with them 200,000 troops and important
specialized capabilities, which will be further developed in
accordance with the Prague Summit Capabilities Commitment.
* All seven have undertaken broad political, economic, legal, and
military reforms to overcome the legacy of Communist misrule.
* All are parliamentary democracies with free and fair elections, open
market economies, and respect for the principles of free speech and a
free press.
* All have taken steps to foster good governance by bolstering
judicial independence and adopting anti-corruption measures. All have
improved their protection of minority rights and civil liberties. And
all have taken steps to restitute property and deal with complex and
difficult issues from the past.
While each of the seven countries invited at the Prague Summit shares
these broad accomplishments, I would like to comment briefly on the
specific contributions and reform efforts that each invitee has made
to demonstrate its readiness to join NATO. I would note that the
President's Report to Congress on NATO enlargement, submitted in
March, contains a more detailed analysis of each country.
Bulgaria - All segments of Bulgarian political opinion strongly
support NATO membership (including all four parties represented in
Parliament). Bulgaria has also given strong support for the
disarmament of Iraq. On November 7, the National Assembly approved the
Government's decision to support coalition action against Iraq.
Bulgarian support includes: over-flight rights and the transit of U.S.
and coalition forces; basing for up to 18 U.S. aircraft at Sarafovo
Airport near Burgas; and the offer to deploy Bulgarian nuclear,
biological and chemical (NBC) defense units (up to 150 personnel) to
the theater of operations. Bulgaria was an important partner of the
United States in dealing with Iraq in the United Nations Security
Council. Bulgaria also contributed to Operation Enduring Freedom
(OEF), including hosting a deployment of six US KC-135 transport
aircraft and 200 support personnel at Burgas, the first stationing of
foreign forces in Bulgaria since WWII. Bulgaria has also provided
personnel for SFOR and KFOR and donated arms and ammunition to the
Afghan National Army. The Government has agreed on a minimum level of
defense expenditures as a proportion of GDP, projected at higher than
2.8% in 2003 and 2004.
Since the fall of Communism, Bulgaria has demonstrated its commitment
to democracy by holding free and fair elections and the peaceful
transfer of power. Basic civil liberties are guaranteed by the
Constitution. Bulgarians pride themselves on tolerance, and no
extremist group enjoys significant support, either inside or outside
the political system. Bulgaria has made material progress on the
return of private and communal property. Macro-economically, Bulgaria
remains committed to the path of reforms laid out by the IMF and EU,
even in the face of growing public dissatisfaction with low living
standards.
Estonia - The former Prime Minister stated publicly on March 18 that
Estonia is ready to contribute to post-conflict stabilization and
security operations in Iraq. The new government, sworn in on April 10,
has stressed continuity in foreign policy. Estonia presently
contributes 100 troops to the NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo --
KFOR -- on a six-month rotation. A 21-man military police contingent
is also deployed to KFOR. Estonia has provided two explosive detection
dog teams to Afghanistan to assist with airport security, and offered
overflight and landing rights in support of OEF. It has also deployed
an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team with ISAF.
Estonia is a fully functioning democracy with a successful
market-oriented economy (GDP grew by an estimated 5.7% in 2002). The
Government has committed to spending at least 2% of GDP annually on
defense. Estonia is working actively to integrate its Russian-speaking
minority by eliminating language requirements for electoral candidates
and promoting naturalization. Estonia is also taking concrete steps to
deal with the past, completing its restitution process entirely and
emphasizing the work of its independent Historical Commission. In
January, Estonia observed its first national Day of Remembrance of the
Holocaust.
Latvia - The Latvian parliament passed a bill on March 19 to allow
Latvian troops to take part in operations in Iraq. Latvia has deployed
eight military medical personnel to ISAF, and participates in a
six-month rotation, every 18 months, of some 100 personnel as part of
KFOR (previously in SFOR). It also maintains a medical and military
police team with the British and an EOD team with the Netherlands in
KFOR. The government is committed to spending a minimum of 2% of GDP
on defense through 2008.
Latvia has also undertaken significant political and economic reforms.
Following parliamentary elections in October 2002, a new government
was formed headed by Prime Minister Einars Repse that has demonstrated
a firm commitment to combating corruption. A newly created Anti-
Corruption Bureau is working to investigate and prosecute corruption
allegations within government. In addition, the new government has
accelerated efforts to integrate Latvia's minorities. Since 1995,
58,145 Russian-minority residents have become naturalized citizens.
The Government has reduced fees and adopted other practical measures
to ease the naturalization process. Property restitution is also a
great success story and is nearly complete. The Government promotes
Holocaust education and public awareness, and commemorates Holocaust
Remembrance Day on July 4.
Lithuania - On March 17, the Lithuanian government reaffirmed the
February 5 "Vilnius-l0" statement supporting the U.S. position.
Lithuania has deployed logistical and military medical support to the
coalition in Iraq, and has offered to provide humanitarian aid.
Thirty-seven Special Forces soldiers support Operation Enduring
Freedom in Afghanistan; four military physicians support ISAF in
Kabul. Airspace and airfields are on standing offer. Contributions in
the Balkans include a six-month rotation every 18 months of 100
personnel with the Danish contingent in KFOR (previously in SFOR) and
a platoon of about 30 servicemen with the Polish-Ukrainian contingent
in KFOR. In addition, in March the Lithuanian parliament approved
sending military physicians with a Czech and Slovak battalion to
Kosovo, and contributing to EU-led operations in Macedonia. The
Government is committed to spending a minimum of 2% of GDP on defense.
The Government has taken steps to strengthen its legal and
institutional framework for combating corruption. It has successfully
cracked down on corruption by customs and tax inspectors. We have also
seen a genuine and exemplary commitment to address the injustices of
the past. The Government has returned hundreds of religious scrolls to
Jewish community groups, instituted a Holocaust education program,
announced plans to restore parts of the Jewish Quarter in Vilnius' Old
Town, and consistently been one of the most active members of the
15-country International Task Force on Holocaust Education. A joint
Government-Jewish community committee is working on an amendment to
the property restitution law to allow communal property restitution.
In Romania, public support for NATO membership stands at approximately
80%. A staunch supporter of the war on terrorism and the effort to
disarm Iraq, Romania granted blanket overflight, basing and transit
rights to coalition forces for operations in both Afghanistan and
Iraq. The Black Sea port of Constanta and Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase
have accommodated U.S. troops en route to the Persian Gulf. Romania
also has deployed an NBC defense unit to support Iraq operations.
Romania has provided robust support of OEF, self-deploying a 400-man
infantry battalion to Kandahar, Afghanistan and a military police
platoon to the ISAF mission in Kabul. The Romanian defense budget is
projected at 2.38% of GDP in 2003-05.
The Romanian government continues efforts to strengthen democratic
institutions, improve living standards, and create a society based on
respect for the rule of law. Romania has a free press, five major
political parties, and an established record of consistently free and
fair elections. To improve transparency, the Government has drafted
legislation to compel the disclosure of public figures' assets, limit
their ability to influence business decisions, make political party
financing more transparent, and increase the openness of the
government decision-making process. While Romania still has much to do
in the matter of restitution, it has passed new laws (to replace the
former ad hoc decrees) and is adjudicating thousands of claims.
Economic growth resumed in 2000 after a three-year recession, with
increases in GDP growth of 5.3% in 2001 and 4.5% in 2002. Decreases in
unemployment and inflation represent encouraging developments.
Slovakia has also demonstrated its readiness and commitment to
supporting U.S. national security interests by contributing to the
global war on terrorism, operations in the Balkans/Afghanistan, and in
Iraq. Contributions include sending 100 soldiers to Kosovo, an
engineering unit to Kabul, and on February 26 a 75-person NBC defense
unit to Kuwait. Slovak military reform is on course. Parliament is
committed to joining NATO (the ratification of Slovakia's accession to
NATO passed by a 124-11 vote) and has earmarked 2% of its budget for
defense spending.
In September, Prime Minister Dzurinda's government was re-elected,
firmly cementing Slovakia's democratic reforms. Former authoritarian
Prime Minister Meciar's party HZDS has all but collapsed. Although
economic reforms have been painful, with unemployment currently at
around 18%, the Slovaks nonetheless have moved forward with
privatization and financial reform, and their efforts are beginning to
bear fruit. Slovakia has engaged actively with its Jewish community
and with U.S. NGO's to settle outstanding restitution claims. The OECD
has projected a 4% economic growth rate, the highest in the region,
for FY 2003.
Slovenia - In addition to offering facilities, overflight permission,
and intelligence support to the War Against Terrorism, Slovenia
provided demining and humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, donated
arms and ammunition to the Afghan National Army Training Program, and
is helping train Afghan police. Slovenia also deployed a motorized
infantry company to Bosnia in January 2003, adding to troops and
equipment already sent to SFOR and KFOR. Slovenia shows good progress
in increasing interoperability and reforming its military, emphasizing
deployable and sustainable reaction forces. It will end conscription
next year and plans to have a fully professional force by 2008.
Defense spending is rising steadily; the Government has committed to
spending two percent of GDP by 2008.
Slovenia has a stable, multi-party, democratic political system,
characterized by regular elections, a free press, an independent
judiciary, and an excellent human rights record. Slovenia has a free
market economy, an impressive record of sustained, broad-based growth,
and a per capita GDP approaching 72% of the EU average. There is
near-uniform support in Parliament for NATO membership, and 66% of
participants in a referendum on March 23 voted in favor of joining
NATO.
Mr. Chairman, the record of contributions and accomplishments by the
seven invitee countries is impressive. But just as no Ally is perfect,
the same is true of the invitees. Issues such as corruption, gray arms
sales, treatment of minorities, protection of classified information,
property restitution, and defense reform require the continued close
attention of the leaders of the seven invited countries.
Our intensive dialogue over the past several months has convinced us,
however, that each of the invitees recognizes that continued reform
measures serve their own self-interest and that they will continue
their reforms even after they are admitted into NATO.
This commitment to an ongoing process of reform was reaffirmed on
March 26 in Brussels when Allies signed the Accession Protocols at
NATO headquarters. Each of the invitees' Foreign Ministers provided
detailed lists of further political, economic, military, resource,
security and legal reforms with their own aggressive timetables.
We and our NATO allies will help them meet their commitments, with our
continued moral support and in some cases, such as dealing with
corruption, gray arms sales, and protecting classified information,
with technical assistance. The systematic and formal review process
that NATO provides will also ensure continued progress on agreed
reforms.
Mr. Chairman, this morning, Secretary Powell appeared before the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee to make the Administration's case
for quick action by the Senate to provide its advice and consent to
ratification of the Protocols on enlargement. Expeditious action will
demonstrate to our current Allies and our new Allies our commitment to
a larger, stronger, more capable NATO, even during a period of
transatlantic differences. It will show our commitment to the vision
of a Europe, whole, free, and at peace, that President Bush put
forward in his speech in Warsaw in June 2002.
Even beyond bringing these seven countries into the Alliance, the door
to NATO must remain open. Our vision remains, as President Bush has
said, that "all of Europe's democracies, from the Baltic to the Black
Sea and all that lie between should have the same chance for security
and freedom and the same chance to join the institutions of Europe --
as Europe's old democracies have."
We support the continuing pursuit of membership by Albania, Croatia
and Macedonia, and we view their partnership in joining with us in
creating the "Adriatic Charter," which will be signed by Secretary
Powell and three foreign ministers soon, as a positive step in
promoting and enhancing cooperation.
In closing, Mr. Chairman, I would like to share several brief
anecdotes, which underscore why NATO is important and why this
enlargement is important.
Last fall, after the President decided that the United States would
support the seven invitees, the State Department sent instructions to
our Ambassadors to deliver the good news to the governments.
There were, in each of the seven capitals, moments of joy, humor, and
poignancy. In one capital, after our ambassador had finished reading
his instructions, a senior official, savoring the moment, asked the
ambassador to read his instructions again, and then a third time. In
another capital, the foreign minister, who had anxiously received our
Ambassador and then suddenly realized the historic importance of the
news he had just received, exclaimed, "And I forget to put my jacket
on!"
And, then there was the comment by one foreign minister, a comment
that deeply touched many us who joined the Foreign Service well before
anyone could imagine the end of the Cold War. After being told of the
President's decision, the foreign minister said: "This is the end of
the old Soviet borders, and even the borders in the minds of our
people."
Even in these difficult times, Mr. Chairman, it is easy for us as
Americans to take for granted what NATO means. But in the enthusiasm
of our seven new allies, in their dedication to our shared goals, in
their contributions to our mutual security, and in the hard work on
reform that they have already done and that they will do in the
future, our new allies have reminded us of why NATO is so important.
It is an enduring community of democracies; it is the essential
transatlantic link; it is a guarantor of peace and stability. For
these seven nations, it is the fulfillment of fifty years of hope and
aspiration.
Mr. Chairman, thank for you allowing me this time. I would be happy to
answer your questions and hear your comments.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)



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