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fense has made possible the democratic trans-
formation 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 de-
mocracies in Europe. 
(2) Lasting stability and security in Europe re-
quires the military, economic, and political integra-
tion 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 par-
ticipants in the Partnership for Peace in a position 
to further the principles of the North Atlantic Trea-
ty and to contribute to the security of the North At-
lantic area should be invited to become full NATO 
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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 divi-
sion 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 de-
clared 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 emerg-
ing democracies in Central and Eastern Europe 
should not be limited to consideration of admitting 
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, 
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and peace in Europe should they become NATO 
members [and] upon complete satisfaction of all rel-
evant criteria should be invited to become full NATO 
members at the earliest possible date’’. 
(7) In the Gerald B. H. Solomon Freedom Con-
solidation Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–187; 22 
U.S.C. 1928 note), Congress endorsed ‘‘. . . the vi-
sion of further enlargement of the NATO Alliance 
articulated by President George W. Bush on June 
15, 2001, and by former President William J. Clin-
ton on October 22, 1996’’. 
(8) At the Madrid Summit of the North Atlan-
tic Treaty Organization in July 1997, Poland, Hun-
gary, and the Czech Republic were invited to join 
the Alliance, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organi-
zation heads of state and government issued a dec-
laration stating ‘‘[t]he alliance expects to extend fur-
ther invitations in coming years to nations willing 
and able to assume the responsibilities and obliga-
tions 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 
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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 ex-
cluded from consideration, regardless of its geo-
graphic location . . .’’. 
(10) In May 2000 in Vilnius, Lithuania, the 
foreign ministers of Albania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Lat-
via, Lithuania, the Republic of Macedonia, 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 en-
largement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organi-
zation; 
(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 
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(C) eventual membership in the North At-
lantic Treaty Organization for all of these coun-
tries would be a success for Europe and for the 
North Atlantic Treaty Organization. 
(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 responsibil-
ities 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 De-
troit, Michigan, former President William J. Clinton 
stated ‘‘NATO’s doors will not close behind its first 
new members . . . NATO should remain open to all 
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