Croatian cabinet sends NATO treaty to parliament

ZAGREB, Croatia — The government decided at a session on Wednesday (March 18th) to submit the NATO treaty to parliament for ratification. Prime Minister Ivo Sanader noted that the majority of NATO members had ratified the document and the rest were expected to follow suit soon, clearing the way for Croatia to become a full-fledged member early next month.

The main obstacle to Croatia’s entry into NATO, as for its EU accession bid, may be neighbouring Slovenia, as the two countries are locked in a dispute over their borders. Slovenian lawmakers ratified the protocol on February 9th but have not submitted it to the United States, amid efforts by the opposition Slovenian People’s Party to hold a referendum on Croatia’s NATO accession.