Dan Coats: “this week, Heads of State and Government of the member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance met in Madrid and agreed…”

“this week, Heads of State and Government of the member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance met in Madrid and agreed to expand of NATO by inviting the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland to begin accession talks with NATO. These central European countries were always considered the likely first nations to be invited to join since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergency of democracy in these countries. Since the end of Soviet hegemony in Central and Eastern Europe, these countries have strived to break free from the oppressive burden of State controlled economies and one party governments with great success. I applaud the advances which these nations have made. There are other nations which deserve recognition for their enormous accomplishments. While their successes have been more recent, they nonetheless have demonstrated a commitment in a positive direction which should be acknowledged and encouraged. Both Romania and Slovenia present a tremendous case for NATO enlargement. While the administration has determined not to pursue their accession at this time, I believe that these nations have made significant strides which certainly recommend them for NATO membership in the near term. The Senate has supported the concept of expanding NATO for those emerging democracies of Central and Eastern Europe, which have struggled and successfully shaken the yoke of their former communist systems.”