America.gov-Peace & Security: U.S. & NATO

NATO Summit Concludes with Commitments for Future Work

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:16:39 GMT

NATO transacted important business during its 59th summit in Romania that goes well beyond extending membership invitations to Albania and Croatia. The alliance affirmed its shared, long-term commitment to Afghanistan by agreeing to a comprehensive political-military strategic plan endorsed by its members and by NATO security partners.

NATO-Russia Council Concludes 2008 Bucharest Summit

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:18:46 GMT

NATO leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirm areas of security cooperation, including airspace management, civil emergency planning, scientific cooperation and environmental security, and Russia announces that it will open a new shipping corridor through its territory for nonmilitary goods in support of NATO’s mission in Afghanistan.

U.N. Chief Pledges Long-Term Effort in Afghanistan

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:41:16 GMT

The United Nations will not leave Afghanistan as long as its presence is needed by the Afghan people, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says at the NATO Summit in Romania. Ban also expresses confidence in the new strategy NATO has developed to give its International Security Assistance Force a more comprehensive approach in Afghanistan.

NATO Foreign Ministers to Reconsider Ukraine's Membership

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:33:55 GMT

NATO leaders say that Ukraine's request to join the security alliance will be reconsidered at a foreign ministers’ meeting in December. A post-meeting communiqué of the NATO-Ukraine Commission says it "agreed that Ukraine will become a member of NATO." President Bush has announced U.S. support of both Ukraine and Georgia for membership.

NATO Pledges Long-Term Security Commitment to Afghanistan

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:00:07 GMT

The 26-nation NATO security alliance has pledged to provide a shared, long-term commitment to the security and economic prosperity of Afghanistan. "In helping the Afghan people build security today, we are defending our basic values we all share," an alliance communiqué says. Afghanistan has been a central issue at the 2008 NATO Summit.

Czech Republic, U.S. Agree to Missile Defense Radar Installation

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:56:04 GMT

Advanced tracking radar technology -- key to protecting central European nations against long-range ballistic missiles launched from trouble spots -- will be installed in the Czech Republic by 2012, according to a joint U.S.-Czech communiqué issued during the 59th NATO Summit in Bucharest, Romania.

NATO Welcomes Albania and Croatia to Alliance

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:12:47 GMT

Leaders from NATO’s 26 member states unanimously welcome Albania and Croatia into the trans-Atlantic alliance, a move that President Bush says will further the cause of freedom and security in Europe. “Both these nations have demonstrated the ability and the willingness to provide strong and enduring contributions to NATO,” Bush says.

NATO Securing a Future of Freedom, Bush Says

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:43:02 GMT

As a community of democracies, NATO has helped Europe become a continent that is whole, free and at peace, but alliance members -- “no longer a static alliance focused on defending Europe from a Soviet tank invasion” -- must work to meet the security challenges of the 21st century, President Bush says on the eve of the 2008 NATO Summit.

NATO Expansion Decisions Rooted in Shared Democratic Values

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:40:30 GMT

As Albania, Croatia and the Republic of Macedonia look ahead to membership at the Bucharest, Romania, NATO Summit, a review of NATO’s expansion shows how the organization has remained true to its roots as a security alliance based on shared democratic values while meeting changing security challenges, experts say.

U.S. Supports NATO Membership for Ukraine and Georgia

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:59:52 GMT

Ukraine and Georgia can count on U.S. support when they make an initial bid for NATO membership at the 2008 Summit being held in Bucharest, Romania, President Bush says. "I think it's in our interests as NATO members, and I think it's in Ukrainian and Georgian interests, as well," he tells Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko April 1.

Bush Accepts Putin’s Invitation for Talks in Russia

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:09:45 GMT

President Bush will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin after Bush attends the upcoming NATO Summit in Bucharest, Romania. In the April 6 meeting, the two leaders are expected to discuss missile defense and the future of U.S.-Russian relations.

Delegates to Upcoming NATO Summit Face Full Agenda

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:05:35 GMT

Like NATO summits of the past, the 2008 meeting in Romania, is composed of familiar elements -- consensus building, defining priorities, creating messages and laying the foundation for the future. But it is also about shared values and common goals. America.gov looks at the official agenda for the summit and at meetings and related activities.

NATO Action Plan Leads to Alliance Membership

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:21:34 GMT

NATO has an established route for aspiring members of the security alliance. They must be able to show that they can further the principles of the 1949 treaty that created NATO and contribute to security in the Euro-Atlantic area, as well as meet certain political, economic and military goals laid out in the 1995 Study on NATO Enlargement.

U.S. Supports Albania, Croatia, Macedonia for NATO Membership

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:22:40 GMT

NATO expansion has been a major success in enhancing the trans-Atlantic security alliance and in promoting democratic institutions and challenging corrupt practices that inhibit economic development, says a senior U.S. diplomat. These successes would be enhanced by bringing Albania, Croatia and Macedonia into the alliance, he adds.

Ambassador Khalilzad on Afghanistan’s New Deal

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:11:37 GMT

Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad comments March 20 in a New York Times op-ed on the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

Provincial Reconstruction Teams Reconnecting Afghanistan

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:31:17 GMT

Security operations may dominate the news from Afghanistan, but behind the headlines are the diplomats, soldiers and civilian experts of the provincial reconstruction teams (PRTs) who are helping the people of Afghanistan make unmistakable progress rebuilding the country after decades of violence and oppressive rule.

NATO Is a Democratic Community Anchored in Shared Values

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 09:45:16 GMT

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Kurt Volker provides a preview of the Bucharest NATO Summit in April.

NATO Summit to Address Afghan Strategy, Enlargement

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:46:39 GMT

NATO is committed to helping the Afghan people realize complete security, economic prosperity and political progress, and to keeping the alliance a relevant force for security and peace. These principles form the centerpiece of strategic talks between President Bush and NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer during a White House meeting.

U.S. Consulting with European Partners on Kosovo Independence

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 09:37:44 GMT

The United States welcomes the Kosovo government's commitment to implement the far-reaching provisions of a U.N. plan that includes supervised independence and protection for ethnic and religious communities, a senior U.S. official says. The Kosovo parliament formally declared its independence February 17 in Pristina.

NATO Defense Ministers Prepare for April Summit

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:35:00 GMT

The pace of preparations for the NATO Summit in Romania in April quickens after NATO defense ministers meet in Vilnius, Lithuania, and discuss how to progress on 21st-century security issues in time for the Bucharest Summit.

Senator Richard Lugar on Vital Role of NATO in Afghanistan

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 10:21:39 GMT

“The ongoing international effort to stabilize and rebuild Afghanistan must succeed,” Indiana Senator Richard Lugar, says. “There should be no doubt that Afghanistan is a crucial test for NATO.”

United States Urges Increased Aid for Afghanistan

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 10:07:55 GMT

Increased development and security assistance are essential as Afghanistan works to recover from conflict and poverty, U.S. officials say. "If you look at the Afghanistan of 2001 and the Afghanistan of now, there is a remarkable difference for the better," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Ambassador Nuland on NATO Emerging in Afghanistan

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 10:25:53 GMT

The U.S. ambassador to NATO writes about the 21st-century transformation of the democratic alliance.

NATO’s Stake in Afghanistan Is High, Shortfalls Must Be Met

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 10:24:14 GMT

It will take a significant contribution by the international community to ease Afghanistan along a path where it can meet expectations. The coalition of U.S., NATO and Afghan forces has been working diligently to overcome the Taliban and promote security while fostering change in areas ranging from education to anti-corruption.

Sustained NATO Effort Needed for Long-term Success in Afghanistan

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 10:03:52 GMT

A moderate, stable Afghanistan is crucial to the United States, its NATO allies and the southwest region of Asia. To that end, NATO is leading some 40,000 troops from 37 nations under the umbrella of the United Nations-mandated International Security Assistance Force. Civil-military provincial reconstruction teams also are hard at work.

NATO’s “Active Endeavor” Operation Safeguards the Mediterranean

Tue, 07 Nov 2006 10:19:14 GMT

NATO’s “Operation Active Endeavor,” an ongoing naval patrol of the Mediterranean by the alliance and its regional partners, monitors maritime activity to help detect, deter and respond to terrorism and other transnational threats. Countries participating in the mission are gaining interdiction expertise and working relationships that also can be applied to other transnational security threats, such as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

NATO’s “Operation Active Endeavor,” an ongoing naval patrol of the Mediterranean by the alliance and its regional partners, monitors maritime activity to help detect, deter and respond to terrorism and other transnational threats. Participants gain expertise and working relationships that can be applied to other transnational security threats.