Albania could be offered NATO membership in 2008, says Sen. Lugar

TIRANA, Aug. 25 – The United States Sen. Richard Lugar said Friday Albania could be invited to join NATO in 2008. The offer was likely to come during the 2008 summit, while the summit this year in Riga would focus on transforming NATO to confront new challenges like terrorism, unstable states and weapons proliferation. “The 2006 Riga Summit will be focused on transforming NATO to confront new challenges. Those challenges will include terrorism, unstable states and weapons proliferation. At the 2008 summit, it is our hope that the Alliance will consider new countries and we are hopeful that Albania will be among those that will be extended an invitation. The two processes of transformation, of NATO, and enlargement are complimentary,” Lugar said in a statement issued at the end of his visit to Albania, during which he met with all country’s top officials. “The United States strongly supports Albania’s aspirations to meet the standards required for membership. We want to work with Albania for success,” said Lugar.
Together with Croatia and Macedonia, Albania has signed the Adriatic 3 Charter, a U.S.-backed initiative outlining a common military strategy and promoting regional cooperation. Albania has deployed small military units to Iraq, Afghanistan and Bosnia and its army is under reform to meet NATO standards. “I welcome the high priority that the Albanian government and more importantly the Albanian people place on NATO integration. I noticed once again very strong public support for meeting the accession requirements for NATO,” said Lugar. “Albanian forces have contributed to our common goals of counterterrorism and regional stability. Furthermore I understand that Albania is working toward having a NATO-deployable unit, the Rapid Reaction Brigade. That is an especially good idea for having a special niche function, which would benefit NATO.”
Lugar also commended Albania’s moderate role in the region. “We commend Albania’s constructive role and moderate voice in this region. We especially appreciate the support of efforts of the international community in Kosova and in rejecting extremism.”
But the senator also reminded Albania that “NATO is not just a military organization,” hinting that political developments are of importance in the country’s efforts toward NATO integration. “The North Atlantic Council is also a forum for Euro-Atlantic community discussion of political and security needsŠWe are encouraged by the successful fight against corruption and [the efforts] for more jobs and more wealth for the Albanian people.”
Two years ago the U.S. gave Albania US$20 million from the so-called Nunn-Lugar program _ also known as the U.S. Cooperative Threat Reduction Program _ which is aimed at the dismantling of weapons of mass destruction. “Let me simply say that we also appreciate the remarkable success in combating weapons of mass destruction.” The tiny Balkan country is member of the Organization for the Prohibition of the Chemical Weapons and has agreed to complete the destruction of its chemical agents by 2007.