HC Deb 22 February 1995 vol 255 c255W
Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to the consequences of the US NATO Participation Act of 1994 on the security of central Europe.

Mr. Soames

Allied Heads of State and Government have made it clear that they expect and would welcome enlargement that would reach out to democratic states to its east, as part of an evolutionary process taking into account political and security developments in the whole of Europe. Active participation in the partnership for peace will play an important role in this. In common with other Allies, and in conjunction with partnership for peace, the US maintains its own bilateral co-operation programmes with states of central and eastern Europe; the US NATO Participation Act of 1994 provides for US assistance to appropriate partnership for peace countries to facilitate eventual transition to full NATO membership.