NATO wants Western Balkan countries integrated into the alliance

We all would like to see Western Balkan states completely integrated into the Euro-Atlantic structures. I think the recent arrest of Ratko Mladic is a very important step, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said after meeting with Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov in Sofia.

“First, his arrest sends a very clear message that war crimes are punished sooner or later and second, which is not less important, the arrest removes a very important hurdle on Serbia’s path to the European Union and NATO membership,” said Rasmussen.

“I want to see a stronger and more reinforced cooperation between Serbia and NATO,” he said.

He noted there could be skepticism about NATO in the Serbian society because of historical reasons.

“Thanks to the NATO intervention in the Balkans, the peoples of the Western Balkans can live in peace, security and stability. We managed to oust an autocratic system and assist the development of freedom and democracy. Now we call on you to try to use the maximum potential of the opportunities you have. You can do this by drawing closer to the EU and NATO. In this respect, I believe Bulgaria can play a constructive role in the region,” underlined Anders Fogh Rasmussen.