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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=716&e=12&cid=578&u=/nm/20020717/ts_nm/poland_usa_dc_4 Bush, Polish Leader Make Case for Wide NATO Growth Wed Jul 17, 2:22 PM ET By Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush and Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski made the case for a broad expansion for NATO on Wednesday as they agreed to tighten their own military ties. Reuters Photo Kwasniewski became the first Polish president since 1991 to make a state visit to Washington, an honor given for Poland's support in the war against terrorism and its role as one of the new members of the Western security alliance. Calling Kwasniewski "my friend," Bush said the two nations would increase their military cooperation. This could include training, joint work to defend against nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and cooperation among special forces. Having joined NATO in 1999 in its first wave of post-Cold War enlargement along with Hungary and the Czech Republic, Poland's voice carries some sway with the United States, which has been pushing for broad expansion of the alliance. "On this issue, Poland and America stand united: we believe in NATO membership for all European democracies ready to share in NATO's responsibilities," Bush said, adding what may be a hint on how far he wants it to expand. "Our aim is for freedom and security to span the European continent, from the Atlantic and the Mediterranean to the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea." As many as seven nations may be asked to join NATO at an alliance summit in Prague this November. Among those seen as most likely are the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and the former Yugoslav republic of Slovenia. The United States has sent clear signals that it would like Bulgaria and Romania, which sit on the Black Sea, to join NATO. Slovakia, which once appeared to be a near certainty, could be rejected if elections due in September return a nationalistic government led by former Premier Vladimir Meciar. Kwasniewski broadly hinted that he wanted all seven invited to join in Prague, saying: "Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, our friends from Slovakia, and our close partners from Bulgaria and Romania and Slovenia will be welcomed there." RED CARPET TREATMENT Albania and Macedonia are both expected to be excluded in this round of enlargement to the 19-member alliance, which was founded to counter the Warsaw Pact led by the Soviet Union. U.S. officials say among the key criteria for membership are how deeply democratic and free-market reforms have taken root in the countries, how firmly civilian authorities control their militaries, and how modern their armed forces are. Bush rolled out the red carpet for Kwasniewski, holding a White House South Lawn welcoming ceremony complete with a fife and drum corps and a 21-gun salute, followed by Oval Office talks and a formal East Room news conference. Later, the two men and their wives were to dine at a black-tie state dinner. At the news conference, Bush said he wanted the two nations to increase their economic ties and the White House said U.S. Commerce Secretary Don Evans would visit Poland next year to work on trade disputes and to promote commercial ties. The leaders, who aides said hit it off when Bush paid a state visit to Poland in June 2001, lavished praise on each other's nations and the U.S. president appeared to encourage Poland to play a major role in European affairs. In particular, Bush said that Kwasniewski's Riga initiative to prevent a "velvet curtain" from being drawn across Europe between those nations who join the European Union and NATO and those who do not had captured his imagination. Bush called Poland a "mature" democracy, thanked it for its support in the war on terrorism, and noted that Kwasniewski's visit marked only the second state visit of his administration, following Mexican President Vicente Fox's in September 2001. Kwasniewski stressed that Polish soldiers are serving from the Balkans to Afghanistan and said his nation was ready to share responsibility for European and global security, saying "Poland is (a) steadfast ally of the United States." Bush and Kwasniewski hit the road together on Thursday, flying to Troy, Michigan, home to a large Polish American community in a state Bush lost to former Vice President Al Gore in 2000. The trip may help Bush among the 9 million Americans who claim Polish descent, a major voting block in the Midwest. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! 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