"For us, Bulgarians, Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Romanians and Slovenians, NATO membership is a guarantee of stability and peace."
This is mentioned in a joint declaration on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the accession of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovenia to NATO, the foreign ministers of these countries expressed important messages underlining the importance and prospects of their membership in the organization.
"We are proud to be members of the world's most powerful and successful politico-military alliance, which continues to defend the democratic values and security of its members," said outgoing Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maria Gabriel.
In the spirit of the upcoming summit in Washington, the ministers expressed their readiness to strengthen and adapt the Alliance by supporting Ukraine's future membership and continuing to defend the interests and security of the Euro-Atlantic area.
"We stand ready to contribute to the strengthening and adaptation of the Alliance in the run-up to the Jubilee Summit in Washington; to continue to support Ukraine, whose future lies in NATO; to ensure that we take an important step towards Ukraine's accession to NATO; and to continue with the transformation of NATO and the defense of our democratic values," the foreign ministers wrote in the declaration.
The declaration also highlights the significant contribution of these countries to the strengthening of NATO in recent years, noting the importance of cooperation with allies in ensuring the security of the Alliance's Eastern flank.
Our countries remain committed to NATO's mission and pledge to continue to contribute to security and stability in the region and around the world. /BGNES
