July 9, 2008
No. 155
The Honourable David Emerson, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Peter Gordon MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, today congratulated Albania and Croatia after NATO members signed protocols opening the way for the two countries to accede to the North Atlantic Treaty in 2009.
“Canada has been encouraging the countries of Southeast Europe to implement domestic reform to further advance their Euro-Atlantic integration,” said Minister Emerson. “The accession of Albania and Croatia to NATO next year will constitute a key success, and we are confident that their example will inspire others to follow on the path of reform and integration.”
Both ministers expressed Canada’s support of NATO’s open-door policy, which demonstrates the alliance’s readiness to accept new members from among European democracies. Now that the protocols have been signed, each NATO ally must ratify them before Albania and Croatia can accede to the alliance.
“The addition of new NATO members strengthens Euro-Atlantic security, and we are very pleased that Albania and Croatia were invited to begin talks to join the alliance at its April 2008 summit in Bucharest,” said Minister MacKay.
For more information on NATO, please consult the following website: www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/foreign_policy/nato/menu-en.asp.
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Press Secretary
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Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
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613-995-1874
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