All for one and one for all

VILNIUS - As delegates from the 19 NATO countries continued the spring session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Vilnius last week, many pressing issues were confronting the alliance. NATO enlargement, stability in Macedonia, U.S. national missile defense and relations with Russia were all discussed. It may have seemed to some observers that enlargement had been all but forgotten.

Enlargement of the alliance is the issue that most Balts are concerned about, and in an address to the assembled parliamentarians, Rafael Estrella, the parliamentary assembly's president, said the assembly's priority was to prepare the ground for the decisions that will be taken at the NATO summit in Prague next year.

"We want our message to be clear," he said. "This is why I will ask the assembly to reconfirm the strong support expressed last year in Berlin for the process of NATO enlargement and to call upon the North Atlantic Council to issue invitations for NATO accession at its 2002 summit," he said.

Lithuania's Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis called on the alliance to make enlargement a top priority. "NATO enlargement must not be placed on the back burner of Euro-Atlantic integration," said Valionis. "A secure and stable Europe is inconceivable if a part of it is to remain in a continuous state of ambiguity, a perennial gray zone."

Valionis went one step further by attacking those within the alliance and some outside who have been concerned about the consequences of the Baltic states' membership.

"Frankly, we in Lithuania are sick and tired of being labeled a 'special case' in terms of NATO enlargement," explained Valionis. "The Soviet Union is no longer here."

Lithuanian Prime Minister Rolandas Paksas did not go as far as Valionis in his remarks but reiterated his belief that an invitation to join the alliance next year was crucial.

"Even if Lithuania receives no invitation to join NATO in 2002, we will not move or disappear. But the West is perfectly aware of the results stemming from such a decision," said Paksas. "As Europe's 20th century history made evident, postponed issues never disappear but keep cropping up again and again, and are increasingly complex and difficult to solve."

Paksas was also keen to point out how Lithuanians were feeling. "I hope that you too, dear delegates, staying in Vilnius, have sensed the suspense and uncertainty Lithuania feels standing at the open door of the alliance," said Paksas. "For us, membership in NATO is the first historic opportunity to secure freedom by joining the democratic states that share common values and are committed to collective responsibility."

Many delegates came out of the assembly with a new perspective. Canadian MP Carolyn Parrish, head of the Canadian delegation, told The Baltic Times that the assembly gave the delegates a new appreciation for the Baltic states' membership drive.

"As the days progressed you could see support for the Baltic admissions becoming more overt," said Parrish, "The delegates are very excited about it. They have had a wonderful exposure to this country."

Canada will be hosting the next assembly in the fall. Asked about whether she thought there would be invitations for the Baltic states in Prague, Parrish stated that she firmly believed that there would.

The Parliamentary Assembly has no official decision-making powers within NATO, but it is important because it gauges sentiment on issues such as enlargement among NATO lawmakers, which will have to ratify any expansion of the alliance.

U.S. Senator George Voinovich was another prominent visitor impressed by the argument made on enlargement. He agreed with Parrish that the assembly had made a positive influence on the delegates.

"I think that the loudest thing to come out of this assembly was that there seems to be strong unanimity of opinion among us that we should expand NATO and as part of that expansion serious consideration should be given to bringing in the Baltic states," said Voinovich.

"The three countries should understand that they have a common relationship in terms of their success, and they should be redoubling their efforts to conform to the membership application plan so that their case will be as strong as possible when they are considered by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization," he continued.

He felt that there was strong support within the U.S. Congress for enlargement. He referred to a letter sent on April 5 to President Bush by 17 different senators, which called on the president to make the issue a top priority. When asked about how the concerns of Russia were being addressed by both the alliance and the United States, Voinovich stressed that enlargement was not a threat to Russia.

"What concerns do they have?" asked Voinovich. "The United Nations has laid out certain conditions for those interested in NATO membership. I think the settlement of the situation in terms of NATO in the Baltic states in the long run will enhance our relationship with Russia."

Both Voinovich and Estrella felt that Russia was having difficulty finding its identity.

"Russia has difficulty adjusting to the new order in Europe. As Czech President Vaclav Havel remarked in Bratislava a few weeks ago, Russia is at pains to redefine its identity in the post-Cold War environment," remarked Estrella in his speech to the assembly.

Of course, the man from whom most people were waiting to hear was NATO Secretary General George Robertson. In his speech on the closing day of the assembly, Robertson tried to reassure the anxieties of aspiring countries.

"NATO's commitment to the enlargement process remains as firm as ever," said Robertson.

Robertson explained that the doors to NATO remained open and underscored the principle that every country must have a right to make its own decisions on security.

He agreed with people such as Valionis that borders were not important anymore. "In the new Europe of the 21st century, geography can no longer be destiny. The history of this region is a powerful testimony indeed of the importance of that principle," he said.

NATO enlargement was arguably the top priority of the assembly. However, the other issues were given a lot of attention. The situation in the Balkans, especially Macedonia, had a high priority. Estrella stated in his address on the final day that although the Balkans still have some way to go, a lot has already been accomplished.

"A number of the countries of southeastern Europe have begun to realize that they belong to the Euro-Atlantic community," said Estrella. "I was able to witness earlier this year the progress that Croatia has made in reforming its economy and political system. It could soon be admitted as a candidate for NATO membership."

He also touched on the situation in Yugoslavia.

"The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is moving in the right direction. Who could have thought, two years ago, that Serbia would be working hand and hand with NATO," he said.

The assembly closed by adopting a declaration on NATO enlargement with an amendment introduced by Lithuanian conservative MP Rasa Jukneviciene confirming the right of every democratic European state to seek NATO membership and stating that the right could not be vetoed by any third country. The declaration also voiced the alliance's condemnation of the ethnic Albanian rebels in Macedonia and its support for the democratic governments in the region. The fall session of the assembly is scheduled for October 5 to 9 in Ottawa, Canada.