HL Deb 15 July 1998 vol 592 cc24-5WA
The Earl of Carlisle

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will give an estimate of the costs of NATO expansion should the three Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, be invited to join NATO; and what contribution those three nations will be expected to pay. [HL2551]

The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Gilbert)

No invitations have been issued to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to join NATO, and NATO has made no estimate of the costs that might be entailed by their accession. Any country invited to join NATO would be expected to make a contribution to the full range of alliance missions and to NATO's common budgets commensurate with its economic and other circumstances.