25th Anniversary of NATO Expansion

AFoCR takes great pride in its successful effort to promote NATO membership for the Czech Republic in the years preceding final accession in 1999, exactly twenty five years ago. AFoCR collaborated closely with Madeleine Albright and members of the Czech government.

Among other activities, our officers also testified during the US Congressional hearings in support of the Czech Republic accession.

On March 12, 1999, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic officially joined the NATO military alliance as full members.

The long-awaited induction took place at an exuberant ceremony in the U.S. city of Independence, Missouri. Independence was the home of former U.S. President Harry S Truman, a principal architect of NATO's founding 50 years ago.

The event marked the first eastward expansion by NATO since the end of the Cold War.