The United States supports the Adriatic Charter signatories' efforts to become part of NATO and the EU, US Vice President Dick Cheney told Macedonian Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski, Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, and Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha at their meeting in Dubrovnik, the Macedonian media report.

"These three countries' membership in NATO will rejuvenate the alliance and it will help preserve democracy and freedom, which are very important for all security missions of NATO", Cheney said. He added that the United States appreciates these three Balkan countries' participation in these missions.

The three prime ministers were united in their position that they are dedicated to the efforts aimed at fulfilling the conditions for membership in NATO. They also said that they expect to receive a message at the forthcoming summit in Riga that they would receive an invitation for membership in NATO at the summit in year 2008.

Macedonian Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski stressed prior to the meeting that the existence of clear prospects for integration into the Euro Atlantic institutions is a catalyst of stability in Southeastern Europe.

"By accepting the countries in the region that are prepared to enter the alliance, NATO will fulfill its commitment to ensuring long-term stability in the region", he said.

Buckovski, Sanader, and Berisha assessed yesterday's meeting with Cheney as one more confirmation of US's support for these three countries' integration into NATO. Sanader and Berisha share Buckovski's expectations that these three countries would receive positive signals for membership in NATO.

The three prime ministers also informed Cheney about Macedonia, Croatia, and Albania's contribution to the peace missions throughout the world. They also discussed the situation and problems in the region, that is, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Montenegro.