Croatia`s NATO Entry Conditions Are Fulfilled

The conditions for both Croatia and Albania have been fulfilled, and I hope this can be decided at the summit - German defence minister said

Defence ministers of NATO membering countries and representatives of two NATO aspiring candidates, Croatia and Albania, discussed the future of the alliance on Friday in Krakow, including the difficult issue of further expansion towards the Russian borders.

The informal meeting of NATO defence ministers is a preparation for the upcoming NATO summit, which will be held in Strasbourg, France and Kehl, Germany in April. A meeting with Croatia and Albania is also planned, as future NATO members.

The first round of talks was dedicated to determining the NATO alliance strategy for the 21 st century and advancement of its actions as it prepares for the accession of new members and the probably return of France in its commanding structure.

All NATO countries ratified accession protocols of Croatia and Albania, however, Croatia encountered problems concerning its membership, because Slovenia started a motion for a referendum to be carried out which could either confirm of reject the Slovene Parliament`s decision on the ratification.

- The conditions for both Croatia and Albania have been fulfilled, and I hope this can be decided at the summit – German Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung said.

NATO has decided to increase co-operation with Georgia, after last year`s short-lived war with Russia, which experts say was partly caused by Georgia`s desire to strengthen its ties with the West.

Jung said that NATO wants to “stabilise the situation in Georgia while maintaining dialogue with Russia”.