NATO Secretary General George Robertson says Russia has no veto on the subject of NATO expansion. NATO's chief says relations with Russia are getting back on track after the freeze caused by the alliance's bombing campaign in Yugoslavia a year ago. Mr. Robertson says that during his visit to Russia a few weeks ago Russian President Vladimir Putin told him he wants Russia to be part of the new Europe. But the NATO Secretary General says the improvement in relations does not extend to giving Russia a say in which countries can be considered for NATO expansion. That will be a decision taken by the free alliance, free countries.
Sovereign countries have the right to make their own decisions about their own security matters.
Albania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Russia opposes membership for the three Baltic states. NATO will decide on the admission of new members at its summit in 2002. Mr. Robertson spoke at the National Press Club in Washington on NATO's 51st anniversary. We've got to be very careful in NATO about enlargement because NATO is a military alliance, a defense alliance, but also now a bigger alliance designed for shaping the peace in Europe.