Transatlantic Security and NATO Enhancement Resolution of 2002

Transatlantic Security and NATO Enhancement Resolution of 2002 - (Sec. 4) Declares that it is U.S. policy that: (1) the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) should remain the primary institution through which European and North American allies address security issues of transatlantic concern; (2) NATO members should reaffirm, at the Prague Summit in the fall of 2002, NATO's importance; (3) NATO should continue to strengthen national and collective capacities to respond to new threats, agree to consider intensifying consultation among political and military leaders and developing comprehensive capabilities to counter those threats, make clear commitments to remedy shortfalls in specified areas necessary to carry out its missions, and ensure a more equitable sharing of contributions; (4) the President, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Defense should fully use their offices to encourage the NATO allies to commit the resources necessary to upgrade their capabilities to deploy forces, sustain operations, and operate jointly with the United States; and (5) commit to enhanced intelligence-sharing, law enforcement, police, and judicial cooperation and expanded information exchanges.

(Sec. 5) Calls for NATO to: (1) seek to strengthen its relations with the Russian Federation and to support the NATO-Russia Council; and (2) underscore to the Federation, without jeopardizing U.S. security interests or the effectiveness of NATO as a defensive alliance, that NATO enlargement will enhance the security of all countries in Europe.

(Sec. 6) Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) NATO should extend invitations at the Summit for accession negotiations to any appropriate candidate country that meets the objectives and targets for NATO membership; (2) the candidate countries of Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia should be commended on significant progress made toward meeting objectives for NATO membership; (3) Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia should be invited to begin the accession process to join the Alliance at the Prague Summit, should accede on a common date before the next NATO summit, and should continue to participate in the Membership Action Plan until accession; and (4) the NATO enlargement process should continue beyond the inclusion of such candidates.