S. 494

One Hundred Tenth Congress

of the

United States of America 

AT THE FIRST SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday, 

the fourth day of January, two thousand and seven 

An Act 

To endorse further enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 

and to facilitate the timely admission of new members to NATO, and for other 

purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘NATO Freedom Consolidation 

Act of 2007’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

Congress makes the following findings: 

(1) The sustained commitment of the North Atlantic Treaty 

Organization (NATO) to mutual defense has made possible 

the democratic transformation of Central and Eastern Europe. 

Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization can and 

should play a critical role in addressing the security challenges 

of the post-Cold War era in creating the stable environment 

needed for those emerging democracies in Europe. 

(2) Lasting stability and security in Europe requires the 

military, economic, and political integration of emerging democracies into existing European structures. 

(3) In an era of threats from terrorism and the proliferation 

of weapons of mass destruction, the North Atlantic Treaty 

Organization is increasingly contributing to security in the 

face of global security challenges for the protection and interests 

of its member states. 

(4) In the NATO Participation Act of 1994 (title II of 

Public Law 103–447; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), Congress declared 

that ‘‘full and active participants in the Partnership for Peace 

in a position to further the principles of the North Atlantic 

Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic 

area should be invited to become full NATO members in accordance with Article 10 of such Treaty at an early date . . .’’. 

(5) In the NATO Enlargement Facilitation Act of 1996 

(title VI of section 101(c) of title I of division A of Public 

Law 104–208; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), Congress called for the 

prompt admission of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, 

and Slovenia to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and 

declared that ‘‘in order to promote economic stability and security in Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria, 

Albania, Moldova, and Ukraine . . . the process of enlarging 

NATO to include emerging democracies in Central and Eastern 

Europe should not be limited to consideration of admitting 
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Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia as full 

members of the NATO Alliance’’. 

(6) In the European Security Act of 1998 (title XXVII 

of division G of Public Law 105–277; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), 

Congress declared that ‘‘Poland, Hungary, and the Czech 

Republic should not be the last emerging democracies in Central 

and Eastern Europe invited to join NATO’’ and that ‘‘Romania, 

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Bulgaria . . . would make 

an outstanding contribution to furthering the goals of NATO 

and enhancing stability, freedom, and peace in Europe should 

they become NATO members [and] upon complete satisfaction 

of all relevant criteria should be invited to become full NATO 

members at the earliest possible date’’. 

(7) In the Gerald B. H. Solomon Freedom Consolidation 

Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–187; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), Congress endorsed ‘‘. . . the vision of further enlargement of the 

NATO Alliance articulated by President George W. Bush on 

June 15, 2001, and by former President William J. Clinton 

on October 22, 1996’’. 

(8) At the Madrid Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty 

Organization in July 1997, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech 

Republic were invited to join the Alliance, and the North 

Atlantic Treaty Organization heads of state and government 

issued a declaration stating ‘‘[t]he alliance expects to extend 

further invitations in coming years to nations willing and able 

to assume the responsibilities and obligations of membership 

. . . [n]o European democratic country whose admission would 

fulfill the objectives of the [North Atlantic] Treaty will be 

excluded from consideration’’. 

(9) At the Washington Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty 

Organization in April 1999, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization heads of state and government issued a communique ́

declaring ‘‘[w]e pledge that NATO will continue to welcome 

new members in a position to further the principles of the 

[North Atlantic] Treaty and contribute to peace and security 

in the Euro-Atlantic area . . . [t]he three new members will 

not be the last . . . [n]o European democratic country whose 

admission would fulfill the objectives of the Treaty will be 

excluded from consideration, regardless of its geographic location . . .’’. 

(10) In May 2000 in Vilnius, Lithuania, the foreign ministers of Albania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the 

Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia issued a statement (later joined by Croatia) declaring 

that—

(A) their countries will cooperate in jointly seeking 

membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 

in the next round of enlargement of the North Atlantic 

Treaty Organization; 

(B) the realization of membership in the North Atlantic 

Treaty Organization by one or more of these countries 

would be a success for all; and 

(C) eventual membership in the North Atlantic Treaty 

Organization for all of these countries would be a success 

for Europe and for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. 
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(11) On June 15, 2001, in a speech in Warsaw, Poland, 

President George W. Bush stated ‘‘[a]ll of Europe’s new 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 . . . I believe in NATO membership for 

all of Europe’s democracies that seek it and are ready to share 

the responsibilities that NATO brings . . . [a]s we plan to 

enlarge NATO, no nation should be used as a pawn in the 

agenda of others . . . [w]e will not trade away the fate of 

free European peoples . . . [n]o more Munichs . . . [n]o more 

Yaltas . . . [a]s we plan the Prague Summit, we should not 

calculate how little we can get away with, but how much 

we can do to advance the cause of freedom’’. (12) On October 22, 1996, in a speech in Detroit, Michigan, 

former President William J. Clinton stated ‘‘NATO’s doors will 

not close behind its first new members . . . NATO should 

remain open to all of Europe’s emerging democracies who are 

ready to shoulder the responsibilities of membership . . . [n]o 

nation will be automatically excluded . . . [n]o country outside 

NATO will have a veto . . . [a] gray zone of insecurity must 

not reemerge in Europe’’. 

(13) At the Prague Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty 

Organization in November 2002, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, 

Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia were invited to 

join the Alliance in the second round of enlargement of the 

North Atlantic Treaty Organization since the end of the Cold 

War, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization heads of 

state and government issued a declaration stating ‘‘NATO’s 

door will remain open to European democracies willing and 

able to assume the responsibilities and obligations of membership, in accordance with Article 10 of the Washington Treaty’’. 

(14) On May 8, 2003, the United States Senate unanimously approved the Resolution of Ratification to Accompany 

Treaty Document No. 108–4, Protocols to the North Atlantic 

Treaty of 1949 on Accession of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia, inviting Bulgaria, 

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia 

to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. 

(15) At the Istanbul Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty 

Organization in June 2004, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization heads of state and government issued a communique ́

reaffirming that NATO’s door remains open to new members, 

declaring ‘‘[w]e celebrate the success of NATO’s Open Door 

Policy, and reaffirm tody that our seven new members will 

not be the last. The door to membership remains open. We 

welcome the progress made by Albania, Croatia, and the former 

Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (1) in implementing their 

Annual National Programmes under the Membership Action 

Plan, and encourage them to continue pursuing the reforms 

necessary to progress toward NATO membership. We also commend their contribution to regional stability and cooperation. 

We want all three countries to succeed and will continue to 

assist them in their reform efforts. NATO will continue to 

assess each country’s candidacy individually, based on the 

progress made towards reform goals pursued through the Membership Action Plan, which will remain the vehicle to keep 
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the readiness of each aspirant for membership under review. 

We direct that NATO Foreign Ministers keep the enlargement 

process, including the implementation of the Membership 

Action Plan, under continual review and report to us. We 

will review at the next Summit progress by aspirants towards 

membership based on that report’’. 

(16) Georgia and Ukraine have stated their desire to join 

the Euro-Atlantic community, and in particular, are seeking 

to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Georgia and 

Ukraine are working closely with the North Atlantic Treaty 

Organization and its members to meet criteria for eventual 

membership in NATO. 

(17) At a press conference with President Mikhail 

Saakashvili of Georgia in Washington, D.C. on July 5, 2006, 

President George W. Bush stated that ‘‘. . . I believe that 

NATO would benefit with Georgia being a member of NATO, 

and I think Georgia would benefit. And there’s a way forward 

through the Membership Action Plan . . . And I’m a believer 

in the expansion of NATO. I think it’s in the world’s interest 

that we expand NATO’’. 

(18) Following a meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in 

New York on September 21, 2006, NATO Secretary General 

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer announced the launching of an Intensified Dialogue on membership between the Alliance and Georgia. 

(19) At the NATO-Ukraine Commission Summit in Brussels 

in February 2005, President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko 

declared membership in NATO as the ultimate goal of Ukraine’s 

cooperation with the Alliance and expressed Ukraine’s desire 

to conclude a Membership Action Plan. 

(20) At the NATO-Ukraine Commission Foreign Ministerial 

meeting in Vilnius in April 2005, NATO and Ukraine launched 

an Intensified Dialogue on the potential membership of Ukraine 

in NATO. 

(21) At the Riga Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty 

Organization in November 2006, the Heads of State and 

Government of the member countries of NATO issued a declaration reaffirming that NATO’s door remains open to new members, declaring that ‘‘all European democratic countries may 

be considered for MAP (Membership Action Plan) or admission, 

subject to decision by the NAC (North Atlantic Council) at 

each stage, based on the performance of these countries towards 

meeting the objectives of the North Atlantic Treaty. We direct 

that NATO Foreign Ministers keep that process under continual 

review and report to us. We welcome the efforts of Albania, 

Croatia, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to 

prepare themselves for the responsibilities and obligations of 

membership. We reaffirm that the Alliance will continue with 

Georgia and Ukraine its Intensified Dialogues which cover the 

full range of political, military, financial and security issues 

relating to those countries’ aspirations to membership, without 

prejudice to any eventual Alliance decision. We reaffirm the 

importance of the NATO-Ukraine Distinctive Partnership, 

which has its 10th anniversary next year and welcome the 

progress that has been made in the framework of our Intensified 

Dialogue. We appreciate Ukraine’s substantial contributions 

to our common security, including through participation in 
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NATO-led operations and efforts to promote regional cooperation. We encourage Ukraine to continue to contribute to regional 

security. We are determined to continue to assist, through 

practical cooperation, in the implementation of far-reaching 

reform efforts, notably in the fields of national security, defence, 

reform of the defence-industrial sector and fighting corruption. 

We welcome the commencement of an Intensified Dialogue 

with Georgia as well as Georgia’s contribution to international 

peacekeeping and security operations. We will continue to 

engage actively with Georgia in support of its reform process. 

We encourage Georgia to continue progress on political, economic and military reforms, including strengthening judicial 

reform, as well as the peaceful resolution of outstanding conflicts on its territory. We reaffirm that it is of great importance 

that all parties in the region should engage constructively to 

promote regional peace and stability.’’. (22) Contingent upon their continued implementation of 

democratic, defense, and economic reform, and their willingness 

and ability to meet the responsibilities of membership in the 

North Atlantic Treaty Organization and a clear expression of 

national intent to do so, Congress calls for the timely admission 

of Albania, Croatia, Georgia, Macedonia (FYROM), and Ukraine 

to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to promote security 

and stability in Europe. 

SEC. 3. DECLARATIONS OF POLICY. 

Congress— (1) reaffirms its previous expressions of support for continued enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 

contained in the NATO Participation Act of 1994, the NATO 

Enlargement Facilitation Act of 1996, the European Security 

Act of 1998, and the Gerald B. H. Solomon Freedom Consolidation Act of 2002; 

(2) supports the commitment to further enlargement of 

the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to include European 

democracies that are able and willing to meet the responsibilities of Membership, as expressed by the Alliance in its Madrid 

Summit Declaration of 1997, its Washington Summit 

Communique ́ of 1999, its Prague Summit Declaration of 2002, 

its Istanbul Summit Communique ́ of 2004, and its Riga Summit 

Declaration of 2006; and 

(3) endorses the vision of further enlargement of the North 

Atlantic Treaty Organization articulated by President George 

W. Bush on June 15, 2001, and by former President William 

J. Clinton on October 22, 1996, and urges our allies in the 

North Atlantic Treaty Organization to work with the United 

States to realize a role for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in promoting global security, including continued support 

for enlargement to include qualified candidate states, specifically by entering into a Membership Action Plan with Georgia 

and recognizing the progress toward meeting the responsibilities and obligations of NATO membership by Albania, Croatia, 

Georgia, Macedonia (FYROM), and Ukraine. 

SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF ALBANIA, CROATIA, GEORGIA, MACEDONIA 

(FYROM), AND UKRAINE AS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE UNDER THE NATO PARTICIPATION ACT OF 1994. 

(a) DESIGNATION.—
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(1) ALBANIA.—The Republic of Albania is designated as 

eligible to receive assistance under the program established 

under section 203(a) of the NATO Participation Act of 1994 

(title II of Public Law 103–447; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), and 

shall be deemed to have been so designated pursuant to section 

203(d)(1) of such Act. 

(2) CROATIA.—The Republic of Croatia is designated as 

eligible to receive assistance under the program established 

under section 203(a) of the NATO Participation Act of 1994, 

and shall be deemed to have been so designated pursuant 

to section 203(d)(1) of such Act. 

(3) GEORGIA.—Georgia is designated as eligible to receive 

assistance under the program established under section 203(a) 

of the NATO Participation Act of 1994, and shall be deemed 

to have been so designated pursuant to section 203(d)(1) of 

such Act. 

(4) MACEDONIA (FYROM).—The Republic of Macedonia 

(FYROM) is designated as eligible to receive assistance under 

the program established under section 203(a) of the NATO 

Participation Act of 1994, and shall be deemed to have been 

so designated pursuant to section 203(d)(1) of such Act. 

(5) UKRAINE.—Ukraine is designated as eligible to receive 

assistance under the program established under section 203(a) 

of the NATO Participation Act of 1994, and shall be deemed 

to have been so designated pursuant to section 203(d)(1) of 

such Act. 

(b) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—The designation of the Republic 

of Albania, the Republic of Croatia, Georgia, the Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), and Ukraine pursuant to subsection (a) as eligible 

to receive assistance under the program established under section 

203(a) of the NATO Participation Act of 1994—

(1) is in addition to the designation of Poland, Hungary, 

the Czech Republic, and Slovenia pursuant to section 606 of 

the NATO Enlargement Facilitation Act of 1996 (title VI of 

section 101(c) of title I of division A of Public Law 104–208; 

22 U.S.C. 1928 note), the designation of Romania, Estonia, 

Latvia, Lithuania, and Bulgaria pursuant to section 2703(b) 

of the European Security Act of 1998 (title XXVII of division 

G of Public Law 105–277; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), and the designation of Slovakia pursuant to section 4(a) of the Gerald B. 

H. Solomon Freedom Consolidation Act of 2002 (Public Law 

107–187; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note) as eligible to receive assistance 

under the program established under section 203(a) of the 

NATO Participation Act of 1994; and 

(2) shall not preclude the designation by the President 

of other countries pursuant to section 203(d)(2) of the NATO 

Participation Act of 1994 as eligible to receive assistance under 

the program established under section 203(a) of such Act. 

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF SECURITY ASSISTANCE FOR COUNTRIES 

DESIGNATED UNDER THE NATO PARTICIPATION ACT OF 

1994. 

Of the amounts made available for fiscal year 2008 under 

section 23 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2763) such 

sums as may be necessary are authorized to be appropriated for 
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assistance to the Republic of Albania, the Republic of Croatia, 

Georgia, the Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), and Ukraine.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.