Frank Lautenberg: “I rise in support of expanding NATO to include Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. As the Congress has considered…”

“I rise in support of expanding NATO to include Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. As the Congress has considered this issue, I have evaluated the arguments for and against NATO expansion. There are compelling arguments on both sides. However, on balance, I have concluded that this round of NATO expansion should be supported. The first question I asked myself in making this vitally important decision is whether expanding NATO serves America's national security interests. I concluded that it does. America has fought two brutal world wars in Europe, and we have thousands of troops stationed in Bosnia. Our vital interests in promoting European stability and democracy are clear. I believe that NATO expansion will promote stability in Europe. The mere possibility that Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic might be invited to join NATO created a strong incentive for them to resolve peacefully longstanding ethnic and border disputes and to improve ties with their neighbors. Hungary, for example, concluded Basic Treaties on Understanding, Cooperation, and Good-Neighborliness with Slovakia and Romania in 1996, and its relations with Romania are greatly improved. Clearly, Europe is more stable as a result, and that is good for America. While I hope tensions will not arise in the future among any of these new members, they may. If these countries are not NATO members, our ability to prevent tensions from boiling over into full-blown conflicts will be more limited.”