Croatia, Macedonia, Albania discuss NATO bids with US officials

WASHINGTON: The defense ministers of Croatia, Macedonia and Albania were seeking help from the United States on Tuesday for their bids to join NATO.

Branko Vukelic of Croatia, Lazar Elenovski of Macedonia and Fatmir Mediu of Albania were detailing their countries' efforts to meet requirements for change ahead of the alliance's April summit in Bucharest. That is where the members will consider the three bids.

The United States has been supportive of membership for the three countries, but has been encouraging them to step up changes in their practices. It is unclear whether all three countries have the necessary unanimous support of the alliance's 26 members.

The ministers' meetings with officials, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, come at a time of increased misgivings about stability in the Balkans after Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia on Sunday.

On Tuesday in a joint event at the Atlantic Council, a Washington group that promotes close U.S.-European ties, the three ministers argued that membership for all three would promote stability by anchoring the three Balkan countries in an important Western institution. They also said that the necessary changes have been made.