Czech prime minister urges NATO to accept all Western Balkan countries

PRAGUE, Czech Republic — Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said on Friday (March 13th) that NATO should accept as members all countries from the Western Balkans.

Speaking at the end of a NATO conference in Prague, Topolanek, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, said Alliance accession of the Western Balkans would end “the existence of a pocket of permanent tension in Europe”. The conference marked the tenth anniversary of Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic’s NATO accession.