U.S. Senate Approves NATO Enlargement

The U.S. Senate has unanimously ratified the Protocols of Accession required for Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia to become members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Senate approval of the enlargement was expected. In hearings leading up to the vote, however, Senators asked questions about NATO's purpose and ability to heal transatlantic rifts after the Iraq war.

Senators specifically expressed concerns about the behavior of some current members, particularly in the light of disagreements before the Iraq war over whether to offer defensive assistance to Turkey. They attached an amendment to the enlargement ratification, which requests that President Bush raise with NATO officials the prospect of changing the unanimity requirement for alliance decisions. The amendment also calls on NATO to consider the option of suspending members that no longer follow democratic practices.

“Enlargement to 26 members is likely to impede the decision-making process at a time when NATO is struggling with its military and political direction,” said BASIC Director Dr. Ian Davis, “but the inclusion of these seven countries offers the possibility for new basing arrangements, particularly for missile defense batteries and possibly for tactical nuclear weapon deployments.”

The United States is the third country of the current 19 alliance members to approve this latest round of NATO enlargement. Canada and Norway have already given their approval. Approval is necessary by all allies before the seven countries may become full members of the alliance, which is expected in 2004.

BASIC has raised a series of questions during the hearings leading up to the ratification. These questions, and references to relevant articles, may be found at: http://www.basicint.org/pubs/Notes/2003HearingsonNATO.htm

BASIC has also raised questions about possible changes to NATO nuclear doctrine, and nuclear sharing arrangements by NATO member states, at the Non-Proliferation Treaty meeting in Geneva. http://www.basicint.org/nuclear/NPT/2003prepcom/Clarification.htm

For more information, please contact:

Chris Lindborg – phone +1 202-347-8340, ext. 102
e-mail: clindborg@basicint.org

Dr. Ian Davis – phone +44 (0)20-7407-2977
e-mail: idavis@basicint.org

Back to Press Releases