01 April 2009

Albania, Croatia Deposit NATO Instruments of Accession, April 1, 2009

(State Department ratifies NATO expansion protocol for Croatia and Albania)
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
April 1, 2009

MEDIA NOTE

Albania and Croatia Deposit NATO Instruments of Accession

At a ceremony today at the Department of State, Deputy Secretary Steinberg accepted Albania’s and Croatia’s instruments of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty for which the United States is the depositary government.  At the moment the Deputy Secretary received the instruments of accession, Albania and Croatia became NATO Allies.  Albanian Ambassador Aleksander Sallabanda and Croatian Ambassador Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic represented their countries in this ceremony.

We welcome the completion of the accession process prior to NATO’s 60th Anniversary Summit on April 3 and 4, where Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha and Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader will take their seats for the first time representing their countries as members of the Alliance.

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