RESOLUTION 362 on SUPPORTING THE THREE ADRIATIC ASPIRANTS TOWARDS MEMBERSHIP IN NATO

The Assembly,

1.        Recalling that under Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty, “The Parties may, by unanimous agreement, invite any other European State in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area to accede to this Treaty”;

2.        Recalling its 2006 Paris Declaration 348 on Support for NATO Membership for Albania, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia* where reference was made to the possibility of an accession invitation to be extended in 2008;

3.       Recalling NATO’s “open door” policy, most recently expressed in the invitation to Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina to join Partnership for Peace and taking note of the progress of defence reforms in Georgia aimed at being granted an invitation to join NATO’s Membership Action Plan at the Bucharest Summit;

4.       Emphasizing that the enlargement of NATO has been an unambiguous success in bringing new contributors to NATO’s efforts as well as projecting security and stability throughout the Euro‑Atlantic area, as demonstrated most recently by the accession to the Alliance of seven countries in 2004;

5.       Reiterating that the continuation of regionally balanced enlargement is an essential element of NATO’s ongoing transformation;

6.       Recognising and appreciating the efforts made so far by Albania, Croatia, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia towards NATO membership and commending their regional solidarity;

7.       Noting that Albania, Croatia, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia have proved their progress towards NATO membership through successful programmes of reform at home and their contributions to NATO’s out-of-area operations, whilerecognising that there are specific areas in which each of the three aspirant countries must further improve;

8.       Recognising the important and constructive role to be played by these countries in supporting the efforts of the international community to resolve the status of Kosovo, in building regional stability, in establishing good neighbourly relations and in guaranteeing the protection of human rights and minority rights;

9.       Stressing to aspirant countries the importance of maintaining their current reform efforts as well as the need to demonstrate the irreversibility of their reform processes, and reminding each invited country that if it should falter in its commitment to reform, the member parliaments of the Assembly may decide to delay or reject ratification of the treaty protocol needed for that country to join the Alliance;

10.     CALLS UPON Alliance Heads of State and Government at their next summit in Bucharest in April 2008:

a.     to invite to commence accession talks those aspirant countries assessed to be ready for Alliance membership and whose accession is judged to strengthen security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area;

b.     to reaffirm the continuance of the "open door" policy after the Bucharest Summit, and continue assisting aspirant countries on their path to NATO membership;

11.     CALLS UPON its members to actively campaign in their respective national parliaments for a subsequent ratification of the necessary treaty protocols;

12.      BELIEVES that the further enlargement of NATO is an essential component of the continued relevance of the North Atlantic Alliance.