In 1997 NATO is expected at last to make a judgment on whether to proceed with its fourth enlargement since 1952. Caution has by no means dissipated. The US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott, in early 1996 ruled out suggestions that the Clinton Administration differentiate towards those nations it saw as the early candidates: "We must resist the temptation to accelerate the enlargement process for certain countries," as this "could well jeopardise our ability to maintain the necessary consensus among our NATO allies"1 who, with the exception of the German Defence Minister Volker Rühe, do not convey the impression of viewing a widened Alliance as an historic opportunity. Presumably, however, NATO agreement to consider the 'next steps' at the NATO Ministerial in December this year must and will overcome this reluctance to make decisions on 'who' and 'when'.
Primary Language | English |
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Journal Section | Articles |
Authors | |
Publication Date | July 1, 1996 |
Published in Issue | Year 1996 Volume: 1 Issue: 3 |