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Backgrounder: Invitee's formal steps toward NATO membership |
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18:51, April 03, 2008 |
NATO heads of state and government are expected Thursday to formally invite Croatia and Albania to join the alliance. The invitation itself does not mean immediate membership, however. Following are the formal steps in an invitee's journey toward NATO membership.
-- Accession talks. A team of NATO experts have a series of meetings with an individual invitee to discuss and formally confirm its willingness and ability to meet the obligations and commitments of NATO membership. This includes also their contribution to NATO budgets. The experts may also name specific issues and reforms upon which further progress will be expected before and after accession in order to enhance their contribution to the alliance.
-- Invitee sends letters of intent to NATO. The foreign minister of the invited countries sends to NATO a letter of intent confirming the country's interest, willingness and ability to join the alliance.
-- Signing and ratification of accession protocols. NATO member states sign accession protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty for each of the invited countries. NATO member countries then ratify the accession protocols according to their national requirements and procedures.
-- Deposit of documents. After having followed applicable national approval procedures, the invited countries deposit their instruments of accession with the United States Department of State, and formally become members of NATO.
Source: Xinhua
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