US President`s National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley has made comments about George Bush`s upcoming trip to the NATO Summit in Bucharest, scheduled for 2-4 April 2008, according to Georgian Times.
At a press briefing Hadley clearly stated that `the Alliance will reach out to Georgia and Ukraine, making clear that NATO is open to all democracies in Europe that meet the standards of membership. The President believes that NATO would benefit from Georgia and Ukraine as members, and that these nations would benefit from being a part of NATO. The strongest NATO vehicle to help Georgia and Ukraine prepare for membership, of course, is what`s called the Membership Action Plan, or MAP`.
While answering question about Georgia`s and Ukraine`s future perspective referring the NATO, he said that `the President has made it clear in his comments that he thinks it`s very important that the door of NATO remain open for new members. He`s said that he thinks membership would be good for NATO and it would be good for Ukraine and Georgia. He is in consultation with his counterparts; those consultations continue. We believe -- he believes that NATO should welcome the aspirations of these countries for NATO membership, and that in Bucharest it will result in a clear path forward -- it should result in a clear path forward for those countries coming out of Bucharest`.
