BRIJUNI ISLANDS, Croatia (AFP) - Albania, Croatia and Macedonia said they were ready to increase their participation in NATO operations and pledged to further develop cooperation in their bid to join the alliance.
"While developing our cooperation we will continue to put an emphasis on initiatives and projects that reinforce and advance (NATO) membership action plans," the three Balkan countries said in a joint statement.
The three hope to join NATO by 2007.
They pledged to create opportunities for joining NATO "through participation in missions, tasks and operations of the Alliance, such as ISAF (the International Security Assistance Force) in Afghanistan and NATO's training mission in Iraq."
The statement was signed late Friday at the opening of a two-day conference in the northern Adriatic Brijuni islands by Croatian Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul, his Albanian and Macedonian counterparts Kastriot Islami and Ilenka Mitreva, and Elizabeth Jones, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian affairs.
The three ministers reaffirmed their countries' readiness to "cooperate even more closely in order to achieve our common objectve: the full integration of Albania, Croatia and Macedonia into NATO."
The three countries signed the so-called Adriatic charter with the United States in May 2003 hoping to increase their chances of joining NATO.
The alliance is due in 2006 to draw up a timetable for the three states' membership. They are already part of NATO's Partnership for Peace cooperation programmes with eastern European countries aimed at promoting stability.
The foreign ministers of Bosnia-Hercegovina and Serbia-Montenegro as well as representatives of seven NATO member-states -- Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Slovenia and Turkey -- joined the conference together with NATO officials later Saturday.
The member-states and NATO delegation welcomed the statement adopted by Albania, Croatia and Macedonia, and offered to help the three countries on their path towards membership of the alliance.
Preparations for Bosnia and Serbia-Montenegro to join NATO are at a much less advanced stage, but they would like to join the partnership programme.
The particpants of the Brijuni conference voiced support for efforts made by Belgrade and Sarajevo to meet conditions needed to join the programme.
11/13/2004 - 21:19 GMT - AFP