MP welcomes Croatia to Nato

Nipissing‐Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota
News Release

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Nipissing‐Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota traveled to Zagreb, Croatia, last week witnessing the ratification of Croatia’s membership into NATO. Mr. Rota, who currently serves as a member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Sub‐Committee on Transatlantic Relations, says that it was honour to witness such a historic event.

“This is the first time ever that a NATO delegation has been present for the ratification of a country’s membership into the Alliance,” says Mr. Rota. “NATO continues to play a key role in promoting peace, freedom and justice in the area and the western hemisphere, and nowhere is this more evident than in Croatia, NATO’s newest member.”

Mr. Rota was one of only two Parliamentarians chosen to represent Canada on this historic occasion. While in Zagreb, Mr. Rota met with several high‐profile dignitaries, including Luka Bebic, Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, Ivo Sanader, Prime Minister of Croatia and Stjepan Mesic, President of Croatia. The Nipissing‐Timiskaming MP also met with many top Ministers and members of the Croatian Parliament.

“Anytime I am able to help put Nipissing‐Timiskaming on the map, the people of my riding stand to benefit,” says Mr. Rota. “As an emerging country on the world stage, Croatia is anxious to broaden its reach as a European democracy, and develop better relations with other NATO nations, including Canada.”

The Republic of Croatia is a member of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, CEFTA, the World Trade Organization, the Council of Europe and is a nonpermanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2008‐2009 term.

NATO and Croatia actively cooperate in a range of areas, with a particular emphasis on defence and security sector reform, as well as support for wider democratic and institutional reform. In April 2008, Croatia was invited to start accession talks to become a member of NATO. The
accession protocols were signed on 9 July 2008 and the ratification process was finalized this past week.

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