The NATO puzzle

On the subject of NATO expansion in the Balkans Boyan Tchukov writes: "One thing's for sure: the three western Balkan nations Croatia, Macedonia and Albania will be invited to join the NATO Alliance in the near future. George W. Bush's visit to Zagreb straight after the summit is very revealing. The American guest wants to give Croatia a special gift: between 12 and 20 F-16 fighter aircraft. And by the end of the year Croatia is to receive 40 aircraft. In return, the Croatian ministry of defence is to put an airport at NATO's disposition. This gift to Croatia has political as well as military dimensions. It clearly demonstrates that NATO's plan of 2001, under which Serbia was to assume a leading role among the Balkan nations and become a key NATO partner, has been discarded."

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