Word: memberships
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Biden expressed continued support for Georgia's push for NATO membership but was careful not to be pinned to any timetable. The Obama Administration wants to be able to say that it supports Georgia's goal, safe in the knowledge that the Europeans, who blocked it even when Bush pushed hard, will not allow it to happen. The Western European NATO countries see Saakashvili as unstable and impetuous, and blame him for presenting Moscow with a pretext for its military humbling of Georgia...
...European Commission, Bulgaria's languid efforts to clamp down on graft and crime are especially dispiriting. Although the commission's report points to piecemeal progress by the authorities, it effectively acknowledges that the carrot of E.U. accession has failed to deliver the promised results: while the scent of membership prompted loud reformist rhetoric, the momentum slipped once Bulgaria joined...
...Sigurdardottir, an openly gay former air stewardess, says E.U. membership is the only viable option to anchor Iceland's shattered economy. "I sincerely hope and believe that we will end up with an agreement that will help us create the necessary economic stability, [and] ensure prosperity in the long term for both families and businesses," she added. (Read: "Iceland Picks the World's First Openly...
...Iceland sees the E.U. as a safe haven from the world's harsh economic winds. In particular, euro membership would allow it to ditch the crippled krona. The E.U. would gain a new member with similar values to its own, which would help strengthen its reach as a global power. In return, Iceland can expect accession talks to move at a double-quick pace. As a member of the European Economic Area (EEA), Iceland already has access to the E.U.'s single market. It is also part of Europe's border-free Schengen zone, and virtually all the other...
...Soviet states along its border as its "privileged sphere of influence," in the words of President Dmitry Medvedev. The E.U.'s new "Eastern Partnership" initiative, launched in May, offers these countries economic integration and stronger political ties. Although the E.U. has shied away from talking about the prospect of membership, however distant, it hopes to help its eastern neighbors to become richer, more stable and more democratic. This would leave them better equipped to withstand Russian meddling and bullying...