Vaclav Havel: “NATO should end at Belarusian-Russian border or Ukrainian-Russian border”

• 17.03.2009, 8:45

Former president of the Czech Republic Vaclav Havel stands for acceptance of Belarus in NATO, but independent experts say a number of democratic reforms are needed in the country.

An international conference on the 10th anniversary of the Czech Republic's NATO entry is being held in Prague. One of the main themes of the conference is historical prospects for the Alliance and its possible extension to the East, Radio Praha reports.

“NATO is based on joint values,” the former Czech president Vaclav Havel said. “But it is question of geography, too. In my view, NATO should end at the Belarusian-Russian border or the Ukrainian-Russian border. It doesn’t mean we are something close and elite. On the contrary, we need clearness to have good partner relations. Unclear borders have always led to conflicts and even wars.”

According to Vaclav Havel, it’s hard to imagine what NATO will look like in ten years.

“It’s hard to say what happen in ten years, but I hope that the dictatorship in Belarus and confusion in Ukraine will end and both countries became NATO members,” he said. “I hope the North Atlantic Alliance will have good relations with all parts of the world. I stand for creating of a new security system in the Caucasian region, including Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia that would guarantee independence to one another. It would be great if NATO did not have to use force anywhere, but, unfortunately, this will probably never happen.”