Schuessel Says Austria Should Consider NATO Entry
04 Nov 01
Reuters
Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel said in an interview to be
published on Monday he did not rule out Austria joining NATO and
abandoning its post-World War Two neutrality.
In an interview with the weekly Profil magazine, Schuessel hinted
the Alpine republic might be invited to join the 19-nation military
alliance next year. "The next round of NATO enlargement, which will
be decided next year in Prague, will certainly lead to an invitation
to a wider circle (of non-NATO members)," Schuessel told Profil, which
hits newstands on Mondays. Advance copies were made available to the
media on Sunday.
The conservative chancellor said when Austria joined the European
Union in 1995, it permanently altered the country's neutral status.
"Joining the EU has already resulted in a qualitative change for
us. It was a decisive step that transformed our neutrality," said
Schuessel, whose ruling coalition includes the far-right Freedom
Party.
"A new dimension has been added, which we should watch closely. We
should consider all options -- including the option of joining (NATO)
-- very carefully and not rule anything out beforehand," he
said. "Intelligent politicians never rule anything out."
World War Two victors -- the United States, the Soviet Union,
France and Britain -- ensured Austria enshrined neutrality in its
post-war constitution following its defeat with Nazi Germany in
1945. Austrian-born dictator Adolf Hitler annexed Austria in 1938.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Kremlin said a
decision to ditch neutrality was solely up to the Austrian people.
As for the timing of any bid to join NATO, Schuessel said it would
be made much more quickly than Austria's decision to join the EU,
which took 20 years.
"The process will be much shorter," he said. "But we should not
rush things."
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