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NATO members sign protocols for Albania, Croatia
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-07-09 23:26

BRUSSELS  --

NATO member states on Wednesday signed accession protocols for Albania and Croatia in a key step toward formal membership of the two countries in the alliance.

A signing ceremony was held at a meeting of the decision-making North Atlantic Council at the NATO headquarters in Brussels. The signing was witnessed by foreign ministers of the two invitee countries.

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In his opening speech, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer hailed the signing of the protocols as a "historical achievement" for the two countries and for NATO.

"This is a historical achievement, not only for those two countries, but for the entire Atlantic community of nations, for both Albania and Croatia come from a region ... which had witnessed the first major conflict on European soil since the end of World War II," said de Hoop Scheffer, who chaired the meeting.

The signing of accession protocols is a key step toward formal NATO membership for the two Western Balkan countries after being invited to join the alliance at the NATO summit in April.

The 26 NATO member states will now ratify the protocols according to their national requirements and procedures. De Hoop Scheffer expressed hope that the process would be completed by the next NATO summit in April 2009.