20 May 1997
SLOVAKIA, HUNGARY, BULGARIA MAKE CASE FOR NATO MEMBERSHIP
(Helsinki Commission hearing May 20) (1030)
Washington -- Representatives from Slovakia, Hungary, and Bulgaria described their countries' record of democracy building and respect for human rights in order to support their candidacy for NATO membership at a hearing sponsored by the Congressional Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), also known as the Helsinki Commission, May 20.
In a statement prepared for the hearing, Chairman Alfonse D'Amato (R-NY) emphasized that the commission's mandate is to examine the extent to which candidate states have complied with principles set forth by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Both the U.S. Congress and NATO have officially indicated the importance of such compliance for successful bids for NATO membership.
In addition, he pointed out the importance of establishing a transparent accession process and of reassuring candidate states that NATO enlargement is an ongoing process that will not end with the naming of the first countries invited to join the alliance at the NATO summit in Madrid in July.
Hungary's ambassador to the United States, Gyorgy Banlaki, highlighted the steps his country has taken to guarantee the rights of its ethnic minorities and to prevent violence and discrimination on the basis of nationality. In particular, Banlaki noted the decreasing incidences of anti-Semitism in Hungary and steps taken to improve the situation of Hungary's Roma population.
Banlaki also noted that "Hungary wishes to join NATO not because it feels threatened," but because it wants to be part of an integrated Europe. He pointed out Hungary's support for international efforts in the former Yugoslavia and its improving relations with its neighbors as an indication of the value the government places on regional stability.
Bulgaria's ambassador-at-large for NATO accession, Stefan Tafrov, testified that Bulgaria under President Petar Stoyanov has returned to a reformist agenda and has been able to reverse the rapid economic deterioration that characterized the country under the preceding government.
Tafrov noted that the UDF, the governing party, issued a Declaration on National Salvation on May 8 that endorses Bulgaria's bid for early membership in NATO. In fact, "the very prospect of joining the Euro-Atlantic institutions has been an essential driving force for the implementation of the reforms in Bulgaria and one of the main incentives for Bulgaria's constructive foreign policy over the last seven years," he said.
"Transparency and predictability should remain among the main principles of the enlargement," he added, reiterating the Commission's stance.
Slovakia's ambassador to the United States, Branislav Lichardus, noted that his country is "striving to obtain membership in NATO and the European Union." He said leaving Slovakia out of NATO enlargement would undermine security in the region and weaken the territorial cohesion of the alliance.
As one of Europe's youngest states, Slovakia faces the arduous task of building a new state from scratch, Lichardus said. Any judgment of Slovakia's progress should be viewed, the ambassador argued, in light of this fact.
Regarding Slovakia's record on OSCE compliance and human rights, Lichardus described the print media in Slovakia as "vibrant." He also pointed out that Slovakia has 20 private radio stations and two private television stations, and is considering privatizing one of two state-owned stations.
He testified that the growth of the "civil sphere has been a wonderful thing to observe," with a wide array of citizen associations representing a variety of interests active in Slovakia. The ambassador disputed claims that Slovakia is returning to repression, saying, "I understand and recognize what it means to be an oppressed citizen, and such oppression is now gone from Slovak society."
Lichardus highlighted Slovakia's record on ethnic minorities, pointing out that Hungarian and Roma minorities enjoy "generous treatment," with schools, churches, newspapers, theaters, and cultural institutions at their disposal. In addition, he said, an Office of Legal Protection for Ethnic Minorities exists to monitor any violence committed against ethnic minorities.
During the hearing, Slovakia came under the harshest scrutiny as commission members questioned whether Lichardus felt that his country had progressed as far down the road toward qualifying for NATO membership as neighboring Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. He reiterated that Slovakia has come far and is on track with its neighbors. Nonetheless, he noted that Slovakia's latest efforts at reforming the parliament to encourage cooperation and to give more voice to the opposition needs to go further.
Of the three countries, only Slovakia will definitely hold a referendum on NATO membership. Tafrov said Bulgaria does not need to hold a referendum; recent elections gave an absolute majority to the UDF, which had included NATO membership on its platform. This election victory reflected popular support for NATO accession, he said.
Hungary, too, will not need a referendum to join NATO, said Banlaki. Fears that Hungarians may not support NATO membership stem from sentiments in the country linked to the 1956 revolution, when Hungary opted for neutrality. The legacy of that period and the apparent prosperity of other neutral countries such as Switzerland or Austria lent an appeal to the concept of neutrality, he said, but under closer scrutiny, a clear majority of Hungarians support NATO membership.
Slovakia will hold a referendum that asks about NATO membership as well as about stationing nuclear weapons and foreign troops on Slovak territory. Commission Co-Chairman Christopher Smith (R-NJ) expressed his concern that linking these issues together on one ballot may cloud the enlargement issue and undermine Slovakia's bid for NATO membership.
Lichardus replied that the Slovak public would likely vote yes on these issues and pointed out that parliament has passed a law supporting NATO membership and is actively campaigning for a "yes" vote.
Smith also asked whether the ambassadors felt that delaying their countries' membership in NATO would undermine or spur reform efforts. All three ambassadors said their governments prefer NATO membership sooner rather than later, but being left out of the first round of accession would not undermine reform as long as it is clear that membership at a later date -- according to clear and predictable criteria -- is still possible.