Bulgaria became a full-right NATO member

On March 29, 2004, in Washington, Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was the first to deposit the instruments of treaty ratification of our country to the U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell

Another six East-European countries joined the Alliance together with Bulgaria. Later the same day, in the White House, the President of the United States George Bush congratulated the Prime Ministers of the newly acceded countries to the Pact – Bulgaria, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and the Prime Ministers of the other new NATO members were received in turn by the American President in the Oval Office in the White House.

This act marks the biggest ever, fifth enlargement of the NATO, in which Bulgaria, together with six other countries, became a full-fledged member of the organization.

I am convinced that we will all stay together and work very diligently in order to convince the world, and perhaps the terrorists, that there are other ways to combat injustice and the problems arising from it, Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha declared after officially depositing the instruments of our treaty ratification. We should all be proud with this day, the Bulgarian Prime Minister said. What NATO will bring to us is stability and enduring values. The enlargement of the Alliance is by no means directed against Russia because the strategic priorities of today are totally different, Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha pointed out.

After the meeting of the Prime Ministers with U.S. President George Bush and the members of his cabinet in the presence of NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the American head of state addressed congratulatory remarks to the seven newly-acceded NATO members.

In his address during the official ceremony in front of the White House, President Bush placed a special emphasis on the participation of Bulgaria in the combat against terror. With the accession of the seven new countries NATO became stronger, declared before the Prime Ministers of the new NATO members U.S. President George Bush. When NATO was founded, the people of these seven nations were captives of an empire. They endured bitter tyranny, they struggled for independence, they earned their freedom through courage and perseverance. And today they stand with us as full and equal partners in this great alliance. This day marks a great achievement for each of the nations joining our alliance. All member nations of NATO must be free and democratic. All member nations must be willing, and able, to contribute to the common defence of our alliance. Our seven new members have built free institutions, they’ve increased their military capabilities in the span of a decade. They are stronger nations because of that remarkable effort – and the NATO alliance is made stronger by their presence. Since NATO’s founding, the assurance of mutual defence has been a safeguard for peace. Under NATO’s banner, the nations of Europe put aside rivalries that had divided the continent for centuries, the head of state of US said.

A communiquŽ of the White House reads that the accession of the seven countries will strengthen the North Atlantic Treaty – the key pillar of the Trans-Atlantic relations, at a moment when it is facing the new challenges of the 21st century.

Bulgaria and Romania are ready for their NATO membership, although they must continue with their preparation for membership in the European Union, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer stated before the CNN. According to him, the Alliance and the European Union have a lot in common in terms of values, supremacy of law, democracy, human rights protection, lack of corruption, and an efficient judicial system. With the accession of the seven new countries the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is marking its fifth enlargement. NATO was established on April 4, 1949 by 12 nations: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. Later Turkey and Greece followed by the then West Germany and finally Spain joined the Alliance. Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999.

The future of global security will rest on these three pillars – the European Union, the NATO and the OSCE, stated in an interview for the Bulgarian National Television the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Solomon Passy. He specified that as a NATO member Bulgaria will invest more efforts, which will however lead to greater results. Bulgaria’s top diplomat added that with its NATO membership our country becomes a participant in the reinstating of Euro-Atlantic unity but, according to him, cannot speak about a competition between the EU and the alliance.

Since 20.52 h of March 29, 2004, Bulgaria has been included in all important NATO systems and can rely on the support of the member-countries of the Alliance, Minister Passy declared.