IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1266 

Congratulating Albania and Croatia on being invited to begin accession talks 

with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and expressing support 

for continuing to enlarge the alliance. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 11, 2008 

Mr. GALLEGLY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Congratulating Albania and Croatia on being invited to begin 

accession talks with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and expressing support for continuing to enlarge 

the alliance. 

Whereas the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 

met in April 2008 to enlarge the alliance, to reaffirm the 

purpose of NATO to defend the populations, territories, 

and forces in the Euro-Atlantic region, and to further 

strengthen the ability of NATO to confront existing and 

emerging 21st-century security threats; 

Whereas NATO invited Albania and Croatia to begin accession talks to join NATO and indicated that those talks 

will begin immediately, with the aim of signing Accession 


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Protocols by the end of July 2008 and completing the 

ratification process without delay; 

Whereas NATO expressed recognition of the hard work and 

commitment demonstrated by other countries that aspire 

to join NATO and commended those countries for their 

efforts to build multiethnic societies; 

Whereas NATO agreed that Ukraine and Georgia have made 

valuable contributions to NATO operations, expressed 

clear support for the applications for Membership Action 

Plans from Ukraine and Georgia as the next step to full 

membership, and stated that NATO will begin a period 

of intensive engagement with Ukraine and Georgia to assess those applications for the December 2008 meeting; 

Whereas NATO invited Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to begin an Intensified Dialogue on the full range 

of political, military, financial, and security issues relating to their aspirations to join NATO; 

Whereas NATO expressed the desire to develop an ambitious 

and substantive relationship with Serbia, making full use 

of Serbia’s membership in the Partnership for Peace, and 

to make more progress toward integrating Serbia into the 

Euro-Atlantic community, including though an Intensified Dialogue following a request by Serbia; and 

Whereas NATO’s ongoing enlargement process has been a 

historic success in advancing stability and cooperation 

and reaching the transatlantic goal of ensuring that Europe is whole and free, and united in peace, democracy, 

and common values: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) congratulates Albania and Croatia on being 

3 invited by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 


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1 (NATO) to begin accession talks and recognizes the 

2 historic nature of that achievement, earned through 

3 years of hard work and a demonstrated commitment 

4 to common security and the shared values of NATO 

5 members; 

6 (2) expresses strong support for the timely com7 pletion of the accession process with Albania and 

8 Croatia; 

9 (3) fully supports the invitations to initiate an 

10 Intensified Dialogue between NATO and Bosnia and 

11 Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia; 

12 (4) supports the enlargement of NATO and be13 lieves that continued engagement with all countries 

14 that aspire to join NATO will strengthen security 

15 for all countries in the Euro-Atlantic region; 

16 (5) supports the declaration of NATO at the 

17 Bucharest Summit, which states that NATO’s door 

18 should remain open to European democracies willing 

19 and able to assume the responsibilities and obliga20 tions of membership, in accordance with article 10 

21 of the North Atlantic Treaty, signed at Washington 

22 April 4, 1949 (TIAS 1964); and 

23 (6) affirms the statement in that declaration 

24 that any decision with respect to the membership of 

25 countries in NATO will be made through consensus, 


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1 by members of NATO, and no country outside of 

2 NATO has a vote or veto with respect to such deci3 sions. 

Æ 


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