Croatia sent a letter to NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer on Tuesday, confirming its readiness to join the alliance.
Croatia's Foreign Affairs and European Integration Minister Gordan Jandrokovic said in the letter that by joining NATO, Croatia wanted to contribute to its own security and the security of its allies and the entire Euro-Atlantic area, the ministry said in a statement.
Croatia embraces the basic principles of the alliance and is committed to protecting freedom, democracy and the rule of law, said the statement.
Alongside the letter, a timetable for the completion of Croatia's adjustment to the alliance's standards was forwarded.
Croatia, which received an invitation to join the NATO at the alliance's Bucharest summit in early April, has said it hoped to become a NATO member by mid next year and that membership of the alliance will boost the country's chances of joining the European Union soon.
NATO is expected to sign a protocol on Croatia's admission to the alliance at a session of the NATO's North Atlantic Council set for July 9 in Brussels. Then the protocol must be approved by all NATO member countries before Croatia becomes a full member.
Earlier in June, NATO Commander for Europe General John Craddock said that Croatia met all military criteria required for membership of the alliance and from the military point of view, Croatia already acted as a NATO member.
Source:Xinhua
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