Bucharest continues to welcome delegations to NATO Summit

Heads of state and delegates to the NATO Summit continue to arrive in Bucharest, Info-Prim Neo’s special correspondent reports. Roughly 50 official delegations are expected today to come to the Romanian capital for a three-day reunion, with 10 other delegations being already there since yesterday. The Summit will kick of with a working dinner for NATO heads of state and government today in the evening. The official opening session is scheduled for Thursday morning. Same day in the afternoon General Secretary Jaap de Hoop Scheffer will hold a press conference. Among the officials expected to arrive today in Bucharest are the President of France, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and the German Chancellor. Overall, officials from 26 NATO member states, partners and representatives of key international organizations are expected to join. The three-day Summit will include meetings at NATO’s highest level in different formats, which are expected to bring about an enlargement of the North-Atlantic Treaty Organizations by admitting Croatia, Macedonia and Albania as new members. Georgia and Ukraine may be invited to join the NATO Membership Action Plan. “All the countries, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, must be given equal chances. Here in Bucharest, we will expand NATO’s circle of freedom”, declared U.S. President George W. Bush in his speech on Wednesday morning. At present, George Bush and Romanian President Traian Basescu are in Constanta, Neptun. The two heads of state will hold a joint press conference at 13:40.