Posted on 02/04/2003 1:09:48 PM PST by areafiftyone
BUCHAREST, Romania (Reuters) - Up to 10 east European countries are preparing a declaration of support for President Bush's drive to disarm Iraq, government officials said Tuesday.
Officials in Romania, Bulgaria and the Baltics said NATO candidate countries were working on the wording of the document, to be issued in the United States after Secretary of State Colin Powell's speech to the U.N. Security Council Wednesday.
The latest show of support from east Europe, grateful for American patronage during its fight against communism and Washington's strong support for expanding NATO, comes on the heels of a similar statement by eight European leaders.
A Romanian Foreign Ministry official told Reuters the declaration of the so-called Vilnius 10 would be announced in the United States. A Bulgarian Foreign Ministry official added: "It is expected that it will be announced tomorrow at the end of the U.N. Security Council session."
The Vilnius 10, a group of nations set up in 2000 to seek NATO membership, includes the seven new alliance members Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, as well as hopefuls Albania, Croatia and Macedonia.
The declaration underlines east Europe's continuing belief that Washington remains the main guarantor of their security. Many countries in the region have already offered the United States assistance for a possible military strike on Iraq.
Bulgaria said Tuesday it had received an official U.S. request to provide its airspace in case of war and specialized troops.
In Lithuania, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said the idea of a joint statement had been discussed for some time but said the final go-ahead hinged on Powell.
"Everything depends on Powell's speech," she said.
Powell is to address the Security Council at 1530 GMT on Wednesday, and has said he will show Iraq is concealing banned weapons programs from U.N. arms inspectors.
The United States has threatened war if Iraq fails to disarm of weapons of mass destruction and is massing military forces in the Gulf. Iraq denies having such weapons.
France and Germany insist Iraq must be disarmed peacefully but eight European countries -- including several European Union members -- issued a statement last week supporting U.S. policy. The leaders of the Czech Republic, Britain, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain published a joint article backing Bush and appealing for unity.
Andrejs Pildegovis, a foreign policy advisor to Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, told Reuters: "We think the link between Europe and the United States should not be weakened by the Iraq crisis."
The Vilnius 10, a group of nations set up in 2000 to seek NATO membership, includes the seven new alliance members Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, as well as hopefuls Albania, Croatia and Macedonia.Like some sort of surreal, high-tech Western. The hero goes it alone against the forces of evil. At the last minute, the townsfolk rally.
Of course, probably not enough of a coalition for the peaceniks. Somehow they think the entire world hates us. Heh.
I was just thinking the same thing. Wouldn't it be nice if we were talking about a Bush legacy in 15 years or so? (hopefully not under crisis situations, however)
No problem here! These countries are going out of their way for us. They are true friends.
That's a really good analogy.
I've always liked the movie "High Noon," but I also see the point of those who call it anti-American. In real America, ordinary people stand up to evil. And the American spirit of decency and bravery is shining in more and more other parts of the world also.
Thank you, President Reagan.
Yes, I also agree that Reagan deserves a lot of credit to this.
Great post.
No offense to these countries whatsoever, but whenever I hear these names I kinda think of the Marx's Brothers movie Duck Soup about the country called Freedonia - Maybe I need some more meds!!
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