Legislative Background
Recent Action on NATO Enlargement
At the January 1994 NATO Summit, the Clinton Administration proposed admitting new members to the alliance. On July 12, 1997, the President named Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic as the United States’ three candidates for membership. On July 8, 1997, at the Madrid summit, the other NATO members concurred.A 1995 NATO study on enlargement lists general criteria forprospective members. These include democratic structures, a freemarket economy, and respect for human rights. New members mustaccept the full range of NATO responsibilities, such as buildinga military able to contribute to collective defense, providinghumanitarian assistance, and undertaking peacekeeping missions.On December 16, 1997,…
