US extends military help to aspiring NATO members

Washington, Apr 11: President George W Bush has signed a new law extending the US military assistance to aspiring NATO members -- Albania, Croatia, Georgia, Macedonia and Ukraine, says a White House press statement.

The NATO Freedom Consolidation Act of 2007 urges admission of the five countries into the alliance and authorises new funding for military training and equipment for them.

At the 2006 NATO Summit in Riga, Latvia, the leaders of the 26-member alliance declared their intention to extend membership invitations at their next summit in 2008 to candidates that have successfully met democratic and military qualifications.

The countries will qualify for up to 42 million dollars in aid under the NATO Participation Act of 1994, a law created to facilitate US support for NATO membership, as well as security assistance to be allocated under the 2008 budget.

UNI