Seven nations join Nato

President George Bush welcomed seven former communist nations into Nato, saying the 55-year old Western alliance would be strengthened because “tyranny for them is still a fresh memory”.

The expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to 26 members was celebrated as Nato signalled a willingness to play a military role in Iraq if authorised by a new US Security Council resolution.

Standing with prime ministers in a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Bush said the new members “earned their freedom through courage and perseverance and today they stand with us as full and equal partners in this great alliance”.

Joining Bush under bright sunshine were the leaders of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Three of the new members – the Baltic states of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia - are former Soviet republics. As recently as 15 years ago more than 100,000 Red Army soldiers were stationed there.

“As witness to some of the great crimes of the last century, our new members bring moral clarity to the purposes of our alliance. They understand our cause in Afghanistan and in Iraq,” the president said.